The Space Between Dreams
by TheSoundofMusic
Summary: When childhood friends Link and Zelda find themselves in a situation they never could have imagined, both begin a journey destined to change the fate of the world they've always known. Separated, they struggle to find each other in the only safe place left; their dreams.
1. Chapter 1

"With all my breath,

With all my blood,

You haunt the mirror of my sleep, you are my night.

You are my light and the jailer of my day…"- _Monica's Waltz_

~~ _Zelda~~_

Though my eyes are closed, I can hear the footsteps of my father just outside my door; the soft, heavy footing is as familiar to me as the sound of my own breath. Clutching at my blanket tightly, I scrunch up my nose and try my hardest not to breathe loudly as I hear my door open slightly. There's a pause, before my father closes the door quietly and continues onto his room. Quickly I sit up, listening carefully until I hear it; a door down the hallway shuts, my father finally heading to bed.

I can't stop the grin from spreading across my face as I throw my covers off. Jumping off my bed, I land lightly on my toes to prevent any noise. For a second I pause to make sure I wasn't heard, then race towards the door and open it softly. Checking the hallway, I look and see that the door marked "Headmaster Gaepora" is closed. With a grin I slip through a small crack in my door and close it softly behind me before tiptoeing past my father's room. As I reach the big doors that lead outside, I gear myself up for a slight jump and stick my hand out, hoping to catch the handle on the first try; tonight is a lucky night-instantly I grab the handle, pulling it down with my body weight and causing the big door to quietly open. Falling back down, I slip through the big doors and take a deep breath of the sweet, sweet night air that greets me.

Closing the door behind me, I race across the small bridge and come to a stop just at the edge of the wall that leads to the lower courtyard, where I know the outer gate is unlocked; it's the one way that leads out of the Academy grounds at night. Eagerly I scramble down the walls, not minding the dirt as I land in the grass, and bouncing back onto my feet I race towards the open gate.

As I race towards the plaza, I duck behind trees and peek out before continuing on my journey; if I'm caught by any of the Academy knights my father will lecture me from morning to night. Despite the dangerous animals that come out at night, I'm more worried about being caught outside right now. Luckily I make it to the plaza without running into anybody, and breathing a sigh of relief I gaze up at the Light Tower excitedly. Running up to the ladder attached to the tower, I stealthily make my way up the side of the tower before finally reaching the top. Crawling onto the tower's platform, I lay spread-eagled on my back, gasping for breath as I stare up at the night sky above me.

The stars as are beautiful as ever against the night sky, and for a moment loneliness sweeps over me; there isn't anyone I know who would want to come out here with me, or who wouldn't tell my father and get me in trouble. For as friendly as everyone at the Academy is, I've yet to find anyone who I feel like I can really, truly trust.

I stare at the clouds for a moment, watching the sky before my thoughts turn to Loftwings, the guardian birds given to us by the Goddess. Even though I'm only seven, I can't wait until the day I get my own Loftwing and can fly through the clouds.

Giggling at the idea of being able to reach out and touch the soft, fluffy looking clouds, I roll over onto my stomach and glance towards the Statue of the Goddess. My father is always telling me that I'll me that I'll meet my Loftwing soon, and that once I do I'll finally feel complete.

After all, Loftwings are supposed to be are other halves. Once I meet mine, everything will be right, and I'll never want for anything ever again.

* * *

"Zelda," my father's voice stops me early in the morning, and looking up I grin at him only to see him staring down at me with a stern, angry look on his face. "Where did you go last night?"

"G-go, F-father?" I mumble, feeling guilty instantly. "I…I just…"

"You went out again, didn't you?"

When I say nothing, my face turning red with embarrassment at having been caught, my father's expression grows even angrier. As I begin to grind my foot into the ground, wondering what to do, my father begins to lecture me.

"I've told you time and time again that you should not be running around outside in the dark! There are all sorts of monsters out there at night and if you get in trouble and one of the Academy knights isn't around how will you be safe? I can't go to sleep in peace anymore; ever since last month you've been sneaking out and now I have to check on you more than once in the middle of the night just to make sure that you're still safe in bed. This is the third time I've gone into your room and found you missing! What do you have to say for yourself?"

My eyes prick with tears, and as I start to sniffle my father sighs, his face softening. Looking down at me, he continues, "Zelda, I'm just worried that you'll run into danger. I know you're a good girl; you're the brightest student in your class and you never disobey me except for this one thing…why can't you just go to sleep at night, like all the other students here?"

Just as I hear him take a deep breath to continue lecturing me the downstairs hall opens and I hear one of the captain of the guards, Eagus, calling for my father.

"Gaepora! Headmaster Gaepora! Are you here?"

Glancing down at me, my father calls back, "I'm up here, Eagus. What is it?"

"You're not going to believe what we found on patrol today…"

"Trouble?" My father asks, a concerned look coming over his features. "Was someone hurt?"

As Eagus walks up the stairs, he says, "No, but he might have some injuries-"

"He?"

Curiously, my father and I look at each other before turning towards the captain as he reaches the top of the stairs. With a nod, Eagus turns around and says, "Come on up here, kid. You'll be in good hands here."

I look towards the stairs as a boy appears; he walks over next to Eagus, staring at the ground with a distant, serious look on his face. His brownish-blonde hair is a mess, twigs and leaves stick up out of it, his face is scratched and dirty, and his clothes are torn and ragged; despite all that, his eyes are a beautiful blue, just a tinge darker than the color of the sky.

As I stare at him curiously, he glances up and makes eye contact with me; instantly he blushes, his face turning a bright red as he quickly looks back down at his feet. I continue to stare at him, and for some reason there's a nagging feeling in my chest. It's almost as if he's familiar to me-like he's an old friend who I just haven't seen in a very long time. Still, I know I've never met this boy before in my life…so why do I feel this way?

While I stare at him and Eagus and my father talk, he begins to shuffle his feet before daring to glance up at me one more time. When he sees I'm still staring his face lights up once more; this time though, he continues to look at me, an expression of curiosity and something else I'm not sure of on his face.

The two of us are so busy staring at each other that I don't hear my father speaking to me.

"Zelda? Zelda?"

Tearing my eyes away from the boy's, I look up at my father and ask, "Yes? What is it, Father?"

"This boy will be staying with us at the Academy. I must discuss a few things with Eagus, but I'd like you to take him downstairs to the kitchen. Henya, the housekeeper, will find him some new clothes and fix him a bath. Show him around on the way, please."

"Okay, Father!" I'm pleased that I won't have to be lectured anymore, and as my father and Eagus walk off towards the headmaster's room I'm left alone with the boy. For a moment the two of us are quiet, before I ask, "What's your name?"

"Huh?" The boy jumps a bit, surprised that I'm talking to him. "My name? It's…It's Link. What's yours?"

"Zelda," I answer quickly. The two of us fall silent again, before I ask, "So…want to look around?"

He nods, and the two of us start to set off towards the kitchen. We're halfway down the hall when he finally speaks; clearing his throat, he asks, "Was that man your father?"

"The headmaster?" I reply. When he nods again, I continue, "Yes, that's my father. Why do you ask?"

"Well…I just thought it was strange…you don't look very much like him."

His statement makes me giggle; turning to look at him, I reply, "Yeah, everyone's always telling me that I look more like my mother than him."

Link hesitates before asking, "You mother?"

"Yeah," I smile gently. "I don't really remember her much, but my father always tells me stories about how he met her."

We're quiet for a moment, and just as I begin to think of something to say to interrupt the awkward silence, he clears his throat and says, "I bet you're wondering where I came from and why I'm all scratched up."

My mouth falls open, and as I blush in embarrassment Link stares at me with a confused expression on his face before asking, "What're you making that face for?! You're curious, aren't you?"

"Th-that's so rude though! I wasn't just going to ask you, we don't even know each other!"

We stare at each other for a moment before the corner of Link's mouth rises; suddenly he's snickering, grinning at me as he does so. As I watch, he begins to laugh harder and harder, the sound becoming so infectious that I can't help but begin to laugh along. Soon the two of us are laughing hard, holding our sides as we tear up and point at each other.

"You look…ridiculous!" I giggle, pointing at Link as his face scrunches up with laughter.

"You're…one to talk! You should've seen the look on your face earlier! I thought your mouth was gonna fall off and hit the floor!"

By the time we finally calm down it's been a good few minutes, and as I wipe the last of my tears away I grin widely at Link. No longer shy, he grins back before saying, "Thank…I feel a lot better now."

I return the smile, before reaching out to punch him lightly on the shoulder. Looking up at the ceiling, I reply, "You're pretty weird…but I like you anyways."

Link turns pink, a pleased smile on his face as he replies, "You're weird too-in a good way."

It's my turn to blush, and the two of us stand in the hallway grinning at each other before I say, "Come on, let's go find Henya already so we can figure out which room is going to be yours!" Talking more now, the two of us start to head down the stairs, and we're so absorbed in our conversation that by the time we reach the kitchen I find that I'm reluctant to leave. Link too, hesitates, glancing between me and the kitchen entrance uncertainly.

"I guess I'll see you around?" Link asks, a hopeful look on his face.

"Of course!" I reply quickly. We exchange smiles for a moment, and I'm suddenly caught with the sudden urge to tell him something that I've never once considered telling anyone else; I want him to know about the Light tower at night.

Looking around, I signal him to come closer and he obliges, a curious look on his face. Leaning in, I whisper, "Do you want to see something cool?"

"Yeah…why are we whispering?" Link wants to know, tilting his head. Quickly I put a finger up to my lips and reply, "Cause it's a secret! Just meet me in my room tonight after my father checks on you. We'll figure something out from there!"

For a moment he looks confused, but before he can ask me what's going on the housekeeper walks out and nearly runs into the two of us.

"Zelda? Who's this?" Henya asks, raising one eyebrow. Giving Link a grin, I turn to her and say, "Father said to bring him down here. You see…"

* * *

I'm halfway out of bed when I hear it; a small knock on my door interrupts the quiet of my room, and a voice whispers hurriedly, "Zelda, let me in! Are you awake?"

Jumping out of bed I race towards the door, doing my best not to slip in my rush as I reach up to pull at the handle. Before I can really get a good look at him, Link comes tumbling through the doorway, knocking into me and sending us to the ground in a small, quiet crash. The door closes behind him softly, and rubbing my head I look up to see him staring down at me with a mortified and embarrassed look on his face. Trapped between his arms and the floor, I giggle a bit before saying, "Link you're so clumsy! Did you fall?"

As the two of us scramble to our feet, Link gives me a teasing smile before replying, "Well if you'd opened the door sooner it wouldn't have been a problem!" For a second the two of us grin at each other in the dark, before I realize something.

"Do you look different?" I wonder aloud in a whisper. "Your hair-"

"Henya cut it," Link cuts me off, a hand going up to his head in a self-conscious gesture. "She said it was too bushy and that I'd look good with bangs and something about framing my face…does it…does it look weird?"

I shake my head, replying, "No, it looks nice! I really like it!" For some reason my words make him blush, before he gives me a questioning look. His eyes glance around my room before he meets my gaze again and asks, "So why did you want me to meet you tonight anyways? What are you going to show me?"

For a moment I hesitate, before whispering, "I…I have a secret place that I like to go at night. Actually, I went last night but my father caught me and was lecturing me this morning when you arrived."

"A secret place?" His eyes light up with excitement. "And you're showing me?"

I nod, pleased with his reaction. Somehow, I doubt that any of the others here at the Academy would act the same way if they knew I left every night to go outside. Slowly I turn back towards my bed, staring at it pensively before muttering, "We can't go until I figure out how to fix my bed to look like I'm in it. I've tried stuffing pillows in there before but I guess I don't have enough because it still looks like I'm not there…"

Together we stare at the bed before Link's eyes light up and he turns to me. Before I can ask him what he's thought of he points towards my closet and I suddenly understand. Between the two of us we grab as many of my clothes as possible and rush towards my bed, stuffing the covers until we've made what appears to be a body. I stare at the lump in bed, proud of our handiwork before it occurs to me that Link may have not done the same. When I turn to look at him he grins before telling me, "I can't actually pretend I just made that up-I used all those new clothes in my closet to make something like this too."

I grin back, before finally telling him, "Well come on then, let's go!" Grabbing his hand, I pull him through my bedroom door and towards the exit, somehow more excited than usual when I think about my secret place. Once we're out the door, I turn to see that Link has already shimmied down to the lower court area. As I run up to the edge of the wall, he holds his arms out and says, "I'll catch you if you jump!" Although it's tempting to tell him that I can climb down the wall on my own without any help, something about the way he's looking at me has me wanting to listen to him.

Jumping will be faster anyways.

I fly towards him, not even considering that he may not be strong enough to catch me the same way I see some of the older male students at the Academy hold girls when they jump. As it is, my landing is smooth and easy; I crash into Link, his body taking the brunt of my fall as he's literally thrown onto the grass. Quickly I stand up, gasping, "Are you okay, Link?"

He sits up and makes a face before replying, "Yeah…don't worry, I have a hard head. Let's hurry up and get to this place you keep telling me about!"

Together we run through the grass and out the door, heading towards the plaza. Once we're at the top of the light tower I find that I'm out of breath, but looking over at Link I realize instantly that it was totally worth it to risk coming out here two nights in a row; wonder fills his eyes, and he looks up at the stars with an expression that makes me want to blush.

When he looks back at me I have to look away for a moment; his face is so full of happiness and awe that this time I _do_ blush, the heat creeping into my cheeks in the still of the night. We're silent for a few moments before Link breaks the silent with a breathless voice full of wonder.

"Zelda…" he trails off, and I venture a peek at him only to see that he's staring at the sky again. "This is…this is awesome! It's really, really awesome!" Awesome seems to be the only word that he can come up with, and at his amazement I laugh a little, loosening up.

Inching closer to him, I point up in the sky and take a deep breath before saying, "See those stars over there? If you put them together, they kind of look like a loftwing, don't they?"

By now the two of us are too absorbed in looking at the sky to notice how close we're really standing. As we look up at the stars together, he squints before exclaiming, "You're right! It does look like a loftwing!"

For the next half hour we sit on top of the light tower, pointing and laughing and just having a good time together. It isn't until I ask Link where he came from that he really looks at me again. For a minute the two of us are silent, staring at each other before he turns red again and looks away.

Curling his knees to his chest, the boy next to me avoids my gaze as he coughs, "I…I don't really remember what happened before Eagus found me. I just kind of…woke up on one of those floating islands out there. I was all by myself, and when I looked around I didn't see anything. When Eagus found me he asked all sorts of questions, but I couldn't answer any of them besides my name and that I knew where I was. But I still remember stuff…well, some stuff."

When Link goes quiet again, a strange feeling comes over me as I stare at my new friend; it's a sorrowful feeling, yet there's something inside of me that makes me feel warm and at peace when I look at Link.

It's a feeling I can't explain, especially since I've just begun to know this boy.

Going with my feelings, I scoot closer to Link until our shoulders touch. Leaning against him lightly, I avoid his gaze as I feel the beginnings of a blush in my cheeks. I stare up at the stars before telling Link, "Well no matter what happens, we'll be friends- we'll be best friends. I just feel it...I'll be there for you Link! Always!"

When I dare to peek at him out of the corner of my eyes, I'm pleased to see that he's smiling at me, and I see that I'm not the only one blushing. As he leans back against me, Link turns his face towards the sky and replies, "I'll always be there for you too, Zelda. No matter what!"

* * *

 **Hey! Look! LISTEN!**

 **Okay, sorry. I just couldn't resist doing that in a LoZ fanfic note XD. So, here's the deal: This is the first new story I've written in awhile. And by that I mean like...forever. Just ask the people who read my Fire Emblem fic. They know lol. All that being said, please be gentle with me on this story! It is my first EVER Legend of Zelda fic. I've played just about every game in the series and binge watched E3 for news about Breath of the Wild, and until now I've never really felt like I could do a fic worthy of the series. I'm typically a romance writer, so there will be LOTS OF FLUFF-be prepared for it! Now, onto the next chapter! And don't forget to read the author's note at the end of the next chapter either if you want some more clarification on things! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

~~Link~~

I'm half-snuggled under my covers when I hear it; a light knock catches my attention, and before I can answer the door myself I hear the latch click as my door opens and a familiar blonde-haired girl enters my bedroom.

"Zelda?"

I sit up, whispering as loudly as I dare because I know Groose is right next door and would do anything to get me in trouble. And if he found out that I had _Zelda_ in my room when we were all supposed to be asleep…

While I contemplate the punishment I'd receive for being up after curfew, Zelda climbs up the side of my bed and sits down, legs crossed as she smiles at me.

"Who else would it be, silly?" my best friend giggles, her white nightgown flaring around her as she leans forward to look at me intently. "I would've been mad if you were already asleep!"

"Headmaster Gaepora wouldn't be very happy if Groose told him that you and I hung out every night," I point out, but Zelda only gives me a look before complaining, "Ever since Groose came to the Academy all you've done is let him bully you! You need to stand up for yourself Link!"

I grin reluctantly, not wanting to tell Zelda what happened the last time I 'stood up for myself'; Groose had been easy to take down in a one on one fight, but dealing with two other guys was not something I had anticipated. In the end, we'd all been given punishments by Zelda's father, and Groose and his friends had been given warnings that they'd be sent back from the Academy if there were any more problems.

Of course, that didn't stop him from making a snide comment whenever saw me.

"Link, are you listening to me?"

Zelda's frustrated huff brings me back to the present, and I find myself looking into her light blue eyes. Once I realize she's leaned in very close, I turn a bright shade of red and subtly try to lean back; three years of looking into her eyes and I still find it hard to keep myself from blushing.

"I'm…I'm listening."

"No you're not," Zelda sighs, before an exasperated smile comes over her face. Reaching out, she pinches my cheek before I can protest and complains, "You're always daydreaming about something! Can't you see your best friend is in serious distress here?"

Her expression has me smiling; the scrunched up nose, tilt of the head, and slight frown make up a look I've seen many times before. It's my turn to reach out and pinch her nose, causing her frown to dissipate. As she giggles and pushes me off, I lean forward and rest my chin on my hand.

"Alright, what is it?" I ask her, watching as she grows serious again. For a minute she fidgets with her hair, before she looks up at me and demands, "How are you so calm when you know what's happening tomorrow?"

Confused, I rack my brain for a moment before realizing what Zelda's talking about. Straightening up, I murmur, "Zelda, don't tell me you're worried about meeting your loftwing. You've been waiting for this ever since we turned ten!"

When she turns slightly pink, I sigh and tell her, "You know, you're probably the most prepared. All the teachers keep telling me I need to stop daydreaming or I'll completely miss my loftwing when it comes to look for me at the Goddess Statue."

This gets her giggling again, and I smile to see her cheering up. Continuing, I say, "This isn't something you need to worry about. We'll each meet our loftwing and then we'll learn how to fly together. You and I can fly all over Skyloft together for as long as you want until you feel comfortable flying solo!"

I'm proud of my little speech when I notice that Zelda has stopped laughing and is looking at me with an expression that has me wanting to blush all over again. As she leans back on her hands, my friend smiles gently and says, "You're really different from when I first met you. That whole first year I was always reassuring you and now you're the one reassuring me."

With a shrug, I mutter, "I didn't know that much about Skyloft or anything, okay? It's not my fault…"

As I continue to mumble under my breath, Zelda giggles again before crawling closer to me. Once she's within reach she leans her head against my shoulder easily, as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

"Honestly, you're such a big hassle," she complains, not sounding irritated at all.

Leaning my head against the top of hers, I put an arm around her shoulder and say, "You know that's why I keep you around, right? I wouldn't be able to take care of myself otherwise."

With a smile, Zelda elbows me before yawning a little. Pulling away, she stretches before she begins to nudge me aside.

"Move over," she tells me, practically pushing me to the edge of my own bed. "I'm staying here tonight."

As I watch, Zelda burrows herself under my covers before peeking out from underneath them. Patting the spot next to her, she grabs my arm and pulls me down until we're lying side by side under the covers, facing each other. Grabbing my hand, she squeezes it tightly and closes her eyes.

"Thanks Link," she murmurs quietly. "Thanks."

Turning red again, I close my eyes too and whisper back, "You're welcome."

* * *

I'm halfway to the lunchroom when a loud, lazy voice calls me out.

"Look who's actually awake for once," Groose smirks at me from across the hallway, his red pompadour already combed and maintained for the day. Ignoring him I keep walking towards the smell of food; I'm not about to let him know that Zelda shook me awake early this morning before leaving for her own room to avoid trouble.

As I walk into the kitchen area, I see everyone's already at their seats. Conversation is a quiet lull compared to the sounds from the kitchen, and quickly I look around until I see Zelda and her father, the two of them sitting at a table with a few of the other instructors. When I catch her eye she smiles at me, before turning to say something to Headmaster Gaepora.

Just as Groose enters the lunchroom with his posse, Zelda runs up to me; jealousy gleams in Groose's eye, but even he knows better than to start a fight with me here. Zelda begins to tell me about her father's meeting with his loftwing as I grab my food. Together we sit at an unoccupied table, until one of the older students waves to his friends and comes to sit near us.

It's Pipit; only a few years older than us, Pipit's been looking out for me since I arrived at the Academy. As I wonder what he wants to say to us, Zelda voices my question.

"Good morning, Pipit," she says cheerfully to the boy sitting next to me. "How are you?"

"I'm great, thanks for asking!" Pipit replies in an upbeat voice. "I just came to give you two some advice…you know, since Link here is my favorite underclassman besides you, Zelda." Pipit ruffles my hair much to my chagrin, but it makes Zelda laugh so I just grumble into my breakfast as I finish up.

Leaning forward, the older student tells us, "Look, I just came over to let you know that there's nothing to worry about when it comes to meeting your loftwing. It's the most natural thing in the world! Just get out there and have fun today, alright you two?"

I nod, but once glance at Zelda's painted on smile tell me all I need to know. Pipit leaves the table, but before I can say anything to ease my friend's nerves there's a sound from the head table. Looking up, I see that all eyes are trained on the headmaster, who stands tall and proud as he looks at all of us.

"It is time to go to the Statue of the Goddess!" Gaepora says in a happy voice. With a grand gesture, the headmaster continues, "This is the time where those of age will meet their other halves, their loftwings! Form a line now, and follow me!"

There's no time to say anything before we find ourselves corralled by the older students into a line behind Gaepora. As I'm guided into place behind Zelda, I can see her shoulders shaking with nerves and something inside me rise; it's a strong feeling of wanting to protect her. Trying not to attract anyone's attention, I lean forward and whisper in her ear, "You'll be fine. I'm right here."

She makes no indication that she heard me, but when I open my mouth to repeat myself I hear a whisper from her.

"Okay," Zelda whispers, sounding more confident than she looks. "If you're here then it'll be okay."

When I look down, I see that she's extended her hand backwards. Her fingers stretch towards my hand, and when I see that her shoulders are still shaking I know what she wants me to do. Subtly I grab her hand in mine, feeling the warmth of her palm there and wanting to blush. As we begin to walk outside and head towards the Statue of the Goddess, I squeeze her hand gently.

It's finally time.

* * *

As we walk up the stairs in a ceremonial sort of way, I look up at our destination; the Statue of the Goddess looms over us, dwarfing us and nearly blocking out the morning sun. We get to the top of the stairs, and all move to go in when Gaepora clears his throat.

"I will stand here, in the entryway," the headmaster tells us, a twinkle in his eye when he notices that Zelda and I are holding hands. "This is a journey you must all make on your own. Go now! To your destinies!"

Everyone rushes past us; even Groose is too excited to stop and notice that Zelda and I are still standing in front of the entryway to the courtyard, our hands intertwined. Rather than saying anything, Gaepora only smiles at us before stepping to the side and talking to his own loftwing, which has somehow materialized next to him without having been called.

Looking over, I see that Zelda is watching the courtyard with a worried look on her face. I squeeze her hand again before saying, "Hey, you ready?"

"Y-yeah," Zelda stutters, a look of resolution coming over her face. "I mean, it's not as if a loftwing WON'T come…right?"

Something in my voice tells me that she doesn't believe that, even though she knows better. Leaning in I tell her, "Zelda. It's gonna be okay. Let's go, alright?"

She doesn't say anything, but when I begin to pull her towards the courtyard she offers no resistance. Already it seems like some of our classmates have met their loftwings; the giant birds are flocking down from the sky in groups, landing near our classmates and clacking their bills. As we make our way closer towards the base of the statue all the chatter falls behind us. Once we get to the bottom of the statue and look up, I hear Zelda take a deep breath.

I look over as she smiles up at the Goddess before saying, "You remember the story of why we get our loftwings, right Link?"

"Um…yeah…something about a hero and the Goddess, and how they fought together to free the humans-"

"No," Zelda chides me gently, reaching over with her free hand to poke me in the forehead. "That's the story of how Skyloft came into being. No, we get our loftwings as a symbol of divine protection from the Goddess. We form a special bond with them and this marks the start of our adulthood. We have to grow up after this."

Her voice goes soft and she stares back up at the statue, a strange look on her face; this time, it isn't one of nerves. It's a look of loneliness and sorrow, as if there's something she knows but doesn't want to tell me. When I open my mouth to question her though, the expression disappears from her face.

"Sorry for being so weird, Link," Zelda apologizes, seeming bashful. "I just…ever since I knew I was going to get a loftwing I started getting this feeling…it's as if by getting this loftwing we can't ever just go back to being kids. Like something important is going to happen…something that we can't even imagine."

Before I can say anything I feel a strange presence behind me; quickly I turn, jerking Zelda around as well in my attempt to see what's landed behind me. There's a rush of wind, and I stare as a great crimson loftwing descends from the sky. It sweeps across the courtyard, startling everyone and eliciting cries of shock and surprise.

"A crimson loftwing!"

"No way!"

"Do you see it?"

"Where is it going?

Just behind the crimson loftwing flies another bird, this one slightly smaller with light blue feathers. To my surprise, the crimson loftwing flies towards me. It stops just short of landing, flapping its wings madly to stay airborne until the smaller loftwing that was following it catches up. Together the two birds land, their large wings beating furiously as they come to a stop just in front of the statue.

Zelda and I stare in surprise as the two land in front of us, before we approach the loftwings together. Slowly we let go of each other's hands, before we come closer to the birds. The crimson loftwing eyes me, and to my surprise a warm feeling sweeps over me; I know this bird. It's as if I'm meeting an old friend, and a smile wreaths my face as I reach up to wrap my arms around the bird's bill. The crimson loftwing makes a clacking noise with its beak before it leans down to give me a gentle nudge by way of a hug. I laugh and hug the bird back, before moving to the side of the bird. Without a second thought I swing my leg over the side of the bird, mounting it easily before grasping the feathers around its neck.

I glance down at Zelda, who has her arms wrapped around her own loftwing and grin at her before leaning forward and thinking of how wonderful it would be to be in the sky.

The crimson loftwing seems to respond to my unspoken feelings; tilting back its head, my bird spreads its wings and begins to flap madly. From below I hear Zelda's gasp and everyone else's shrieks, but I ignore them as I rise higher and higher into the sky. When he reaches the top of the goddess statue, my bird dives. As we accelerate, his wings catch the wind underneath them and then suddenly we're soaring. We fly over the entryway of the courtyard, across the Academy and past the borders of Skyloft. We're in the clouds, and as we glide I lift my arms out and enjoy the wind as it hits my face.

I feel free, as if all my troubles and worries have been left back on the ground, and with a laugh I grab onto my loftwing's feathers and urge it into another dive. As we breeze over Skyloft I whoop loudly and fall backwards, resting against the loftwing as it continues to soar through the clouds.

This is what it feels like to live. This is where I belong!

* * *

Zelda sits next to me in the dark, refusing to look me in the eye despite the fact that we snuck out to the light tower at her request. Quietly I cough, before asking, "Zelda? Are you…okay?"

I jump in surprise when she shoots a glare at me, before I ask again, "Did I do something to make you angry? You've hardly spoken to me today since we left the Statue of the Goddess…"

For a moment we sit in silence, before Zelda hugs her knees to her chest and hides her face from me. Worried, I reach out to put an arm around her when she mutters, "…sorry."

I blink, absorbing her apology before it really hits me. Did she just say sorry? Before I can comprehend WHY she's apologizing to me, she lets out a great sigh and falls backwards until she's staring up at the stars with a pensive look on her face. Rolling over so that her back is to me, Zelda continues, "I'm sorry for ignoring you, Link. I guess I'm just…I'm just jealous is all."

"Jealous?" I gape, surprised at this news. "You're jealous of ME?"

"Yeah," she murmurs, still turned the other way. "I'm so thrilled with my loftwing and can't wait to fly…so when I saw you just jump on yours today and take off I got jealous. I want to connect with my loftwing the same way you do with yours. And I wanted to feel what it was like to fly…to touch the clouds and see Skyloft and everything around it…I wanted to do that too."

Zelda falls silent as I take this all in, and after a few minutes she rolls over to face me, biting her lip. Now that I know what's bothering her, I can't help but want to smile; reaching out I brush some of her stray hair aside before leaning down and teasing ,"You're really just jealous of me and my loftwing? THAT'S why you avoided me all day?"

"I know it's a dumb reason, don't rub it in," she mutters, turning pink. "I said I was sorry, didn't I?"

When I see how pink she's getting, I start laughing; I just can't help it. As I laugh harder and harder, Zelda tries hard not to smile, before she starts giggling along. We laugh for awhile before she sits up and a hand flies to her mouth in panic.

"Shh, Link!" she urges me, trying to stifle her own giggles as she leans closer to me and puts her hands over my mouth, glancing around at the ground as she looks for guards. "What if someone hears us?"

As she nearly shoves her hand down my throat I stop laughing and put my hand up to hers and hold onto it tightly. Gently, I take her hands off of my mouth and lean forward, an idea forming in my mind.

"Hey, Zelda," I say, catching her attention as she looks over at me curiously. "What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?"

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Zelda looks around nervously, clutching at the edge of her dress as I pull her around to the back of the State of the Goddess. Peeking around furtively, I make sure that no one's nearby before replying, "You said that you didn't have any chores this afternoon right?"

"Yeah…"

"And everyone else is busy around this time, right?"

"I know that the teachers use this time to prepare lessons and my father is probably teaching some of the upperclassmen-"

"Exactly," I tell her, grinning widely. Letting go of Zelda's hand I run to the edge of the cliff; I hear her intake a sharp breath as I lean over the edge and whistle loudly. As my loftwing comes swooping in, I turn around and grin at her before saying, "Watch this!"

Without turning around again, I hold my arms out and fall backwards; Zelda gives a small shriek and rushes towards the cliff just as my loftwing catches me and we rise above her. With a wink at her, I grab onto my loftwing's feathers and we turn and take off towards the open sky, looping through the sky and across the clouds before flying back to where she stands, an excited look on her face.

Moving my loftwing closer to the cliff I reach out for her and say, "Come on! Fly with me!"

Zelda looks at me hesitantly, before a smile comes over her face and she grabs my hand. As I hoist her onto the loftwing's back so that she's sitting behind me, she quickly holds onto my shirt, looking down with a terrified but ecstatic look on her face. Once I'm sure that she's on securely, I grin at her one more time before grasping the loftwing's feathers with both hands and leaning forward so that we dive down below Skyloft.

She gasps behind me, and then suddenly we're shooting out from underneath the Skyloft, rising towards the sun as we pass through the clouds and ride the wind away from the town.

"Oh, Link!" Zelda says, "It's beautiful!"

I glance behind me to see her smiling, one of her hands cautiously reaching out to touch some nearby clouds before she gives me a look that sends a warm wave through my stomach, causing my heart to pound wildly as I turn red.

Quickly I swerve around to look ahead of me again, not entirely sure of what just happened. As Zelda leans against my back, I feel the warmth of her body against mine and feel myself turning even redder as she says, "This is…this is amazing….Link, this is amazing! Thank you."

With a smile, I open my mouth to reply when a strong gust of wind suddenly sweeps over us; I grunt as my loftwing struggles to keep itself flying straight, and behind me I can feel Zelda grasping me even tighter than before as I begin to panic when the crimson loftwing suddenly seems to be unable to keep itself airborne with the combination of our weight and the wind, and as my confidence begins to falter so does the loftwing.

We begin to fall, and as we start our plummet my mind races looking for ways to save both me and my friend. As Zelda shrieks, her arms wrapped around me tightly, I notice that we are near a small floating island. Turning around, I yell, "Zelda, the loftwing can't hold us up and keep flying! We're going to have to jump!"

The panic in her eyes is clear as my friend looks up at me and screams back, "WHAT? We WHAT?"

Wrapping an arm around her waist, I tell her, "Trust me! It'll be okay!"

Zelda stares at me, her fingernails beginning to dig into my skin as I break my gaze away from her and watch the ground as it begins to get closer and closer. Looking back at Zelda, I hold her tightly and tell her, "I've got you, Zelda. Don't worry!"

"L-Link!" Zelda replies, "I-I-!"

"NOW!" I yell, interrupting her as I jump off the back of the loftwing. Zelda screams as we fall towards the ground, and as I hold onto her I look up to see my loftwing flapping its wings desperately to straighten itself out. Flapping wildly, the crimson loftwing manages to regain its balance before diving towards us; unfortunately, we're much closer to the ground than we are to my loftwing, and as we land I gasp in pain when I hit the dirt, Zelda on top of me.

I feel as if my spine is broken, and with a groan I try to ignore the pain as I pull myself up onto my elbows and look at Zelda, who is lying still on top of me with her hands on my chest. Before I can ask her if she's okay, I see a large beak in my view and the next thing I know my loftwing is nudging me urgently, a worried look in its eyes.

Reaching up I pat its beak and say, "I'm okay, I'm okay!" I'm about to say more when I feel Zelda moving, and quickly I turn my attention to her.

"Ughhh…Link?" Zelda looks up at me, confusion in her eyes before she seems to realize what's happening. Quickly she sits up, but as she does so her body presses against my stomach and I groan again as some pain shoots through my body.

Zelda freezes, before she carefully gets off of me and puts a hand on my back, helping me to sit up better. As she begins to inspect me for bruises, she starts to scold me.

"Link, I can't believe you did that!" she cries, her hands trembling as she puts a hand to my face to look for cuts. "We could've been seriously hurt, and-"

"Like…I would ever…let you get hurt," I grin at her, trying hard not to grimace at how my back is killing me. "You know…I said I'd…take care-"

"Stop talking," Zelda interrupts me, one of her hands finally coming to rest on my stomach as she stares at me worriedly. "I knew we should've never gone flying…we don't even know the basics, let alone how to balance properly against the wind, or how to really steer, or what to do for an emergency landing…."

"I figured it out… didn't I?" I huff, the pain beginning to recede as I sit up fully, wincing. "Look, it's okay, no one will even have to find out that this happened! I'll just rest for a second…just a little…and then we can fly back and no one will ever know!"

When I smile at my friend, she gives me an exasperated sigh before throwing her arms around me. Surprised at this, I begin to turn red as she buries her head in my chest and mumbles, "Seriously…don't scare me so much. What would I do if you got hurt protecting me?"

Instantly I feel guilty; flying was my idea, not hers. Zelda was smart enough to know that it was a bad idea, but because of me she was nearly hurt. Hugging her back, I lean my forehead against her shoulder and we sit there in silence for a few minutes, both of us grateful to have made it.

"Link?" Zelda asks after a minute, her head still on my chest.

"Mmm?"

"Promise me something?"

Pulling back, I see that Zelda has a very serious look on her face, one that I've only seen her wear a few times. Wondering what she wants, I ask curiously, "Yeah? What is it?"

Grabbing my hand tightly, she leans in closer to me, causing me to blush as she urges, "Promise me that you'll be more careful from now on…please. I can't…I can't stand the thought that something bad might happen to you. Can you promise me that?"

I hesitate, before seeing how worried my friend is. Slowly, I nod before telling her, "I promise…only if you promise that you'll let me do whatever I have to do to keep you safe. Okay?"

"Okay," Zelda says in surprise, and with a grin I pull her into a hug.

"It's a deal," I whisper into my best friend's hair. "Let's keep our promises…forever."

* * *

 **So...timeskips. It's gonna be a thing, but only for these first few chapters. Once they get to young adulthood that won't really happen as much; these first chapters are more about establishing the kinds of relationship Zelda and Link have, as well as their personalities.**

 **I've always seen their relationship as one that was DESTINED to exist (their ancestors and past selves always come together in the games, so it's totally plausible), but when I played Skyward Sword I saw it as the first time their relationship was really that-a relationship. They care so much about each other that it kills me with cuteness, (Oh yeah, THIS STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS LATER ON BTW DON'T BE MAD I WARNED YOU). I feel like Zelda, though wise and intelligent, isn't as delicate as she appears. She's strong and fiesty in this game, and on top of that it's obvious that she and Link are very close to each other. I'd also like to give Link the kind of personality I saw when playing this game; courageous (to the point where it sometimes gets him in big trouble!) but very loyal and lots of fun.**

 **Both of them can be serious when it comes down to it, but ultimately I think they are close enough that they can just be themselves when they're together.**

 **Well, enough of my rambling XD Thanks to everyone who reads, and I always look forward to reviews! I'll do my best to update quickly, though no promises as I'm moving in the final semester of college *internal screaming***

 **Thank you guys, and see you on the next update!**


	3. Chapter 3

~~ _Zelda~~_

The sunlight streams into my room, and as I open my eyes I'm surprised to see a note on my desk. Wondering what it is and where it came from, I raise my arms high and stretch before swinging my feet over the side of the bed and standing up. Still stretching, I yawn a bit and walk over to my desk before picking up the small piece of paper and opening it.

To my surprise, I see the scrawl of Link's handwriting, my friend's ever messy writing easy to pick out.

"Happy seventeenth, Zelda," I read aloud, a smile coming over my face. "I'll be waiting for you in my room-Link."

With a small giggle, I put the note down on the desk and turn to my closet. Slipping on a dress and belt, I quickly change and leave my room, nearly running into Pipit on my way out.

"Sorry, Zelda!" Pipit tells me with a smile, his hands up as if to stop us from fully colliding. "I shoulda walked a little further from the door!"

I smile back as I reply, "Oh, it's no problem! "

"I'm glad for that," Pipit says cheerfully, before heading on his way. As I start to walk towards the stairs in the opposite direction, the senior calls, "Happy birthday, by the way!"

"Thanks!"

Rushing down the stairs I walk over to my friend's room and lean against the door, my ear pressed to the wood as I listen for the usual sound of snoring. To my surprise, I hear some grunts and a few muttered curses before he swears loudly. There's the sound of banging, before I hear a loud clunking noise and Link yelps in pain. Trying hard not to laugh, I reach for the handle and peek around the door, only to see him struggling to pull his shirt over his head. I can't help it; I giggle a little at the sight, and instantly Link swerves in my direction.

In a panicked voice, he asks, "Zelda?"

"Here, let me help," I say, walking over to tug down his collar and smooth down a large tuft that sticks up on the back of Link's head. Struggling away from me, Link turns a brilliant shade of red before he splutters, "Wha-what are you doing here-"

"I came to thank you for the nice birthday note," I tell him, grinning as he tries to straighten himself up, patting down his bedhead one last time. Link grins back bashfully for a second before he says, "You're welcome. I was going to get up early and surprise you with breakfast but…"

I give Link a knowing smile; his good intentions were no doubt foiled by his sleeping in. With a smile I grab his hand and turn towards the door. Pulling him along behind me I tell him, "Let's go get breakfast together then. Come on!"

As he stumbles along behind me I blush a little, glad that he can't see me do so; nine years of being best friends still doesn't stop the butterflies in my stomach when I see his face turn red.

We're sitting at a table together discussing today's plans when I see an irritated look come over Link's face. Before I can ask him what's wrong though, a voice behind me tells me exactly why my friend's expression has changed; I can practically see Groose's puffed out chest as the bully behind me exclaims, "What are you doing here, _Link?"_

Groose twists my friend's name viciously, and slowly I clench my hands into fists as I try to calm myself down by counting to ten. Link eyes me cautiously for a second as I let out a slow breath. Quickly, my friend's eyes dart back up to Groose before he says, "Eating. Whatever you have to say to us, say it quick and leave."

"Why don't you leave…"

Quickly I snap, and turning around I glare with such ferocity that the red-haired boy takes a step back, both his cronies following suit as I demand, "What is it, Groose? Link and I have some _extremely_ important things to do today, so I'd really appreciate it if you let us eat so that we can get going."

Groose shoots Link a look, before he turns red and says to me, "Happy birthday, Zelda. I got you a present."

I raise an eyebrow as Groose grabs something from one of his friends and presents it to me as if it's a precious jewel. Still watching him, I open the gift and look down to find myself staring at a poorly carved statue of wood; it appears to be a loftwing, although whether that's what he was going for is beyond me. Granted, I've been spoiled with Link's carvings but even with that I can tell that Groose really had no idea what he was doing when he carved this statue.

Petty though it may be, just knowing how Groose treats Link has me wanting to deny his present all together, but when I look up I think of my father and sigh. Biting back what I really want to say, I hold the gift carefully and murmur, "Thank you…Groose. Now please leave me and Link alone."

Groose smiles widely at me, gives Link another look, then stalks off much to my relief. I wait until he's entirely out of earshot before leaning forward and scolding my friend.

"Honestly Link," I complain. "If you keep letting him treat you that way….he just makes me so mad! Stand up for yourself more, jeez!"

"Alright, alright," Link grumbles, before he picks up Groose's gift and sets it on a nearby windowsill. "Look, just forget that happened, okay? Today's your birthday, and we're going to celebrate the way we always do-together."

Picking at my food, I can't help but smile as I say, "Same as we always do then?"

"With a little variation," Link winks at me, causing me to giggle. "Of course, you have to finish your food first before we can go…"

At his words I stick my tongue out at him, before scarfing down the plate of food in record time. When I finish I grin at him, asking, "Okay, can we go now?"

"Whatever you say, your Highness. You're the Princess for today," Link teases me, standing up and grabbing both our trays. As he starts to walk towards the door he looks at me before asking, "Are you coming?"

Standing up I toss my hair over my shoulder and reply, "Yes, I'm coming. Let's go!" Together the two of us walk out of the hall, and I'm about to ask where we're headed when Link signals for me to wait for him. Just as he disappears into his room my father walks down the stairs; seeing me, he makes a beeline for me before giving me a big hug.

"Happy birthday, Zelda," my father tells me, holding me at arms length as he smiles proudly. "You've grown into a fine young woman."

"Thank you, Father," I reply, smiling back up at him. Patting me on the head, my father looks around before a troubled look comes over his face and he asks, "Where's Link? I was sure you'd be spending today with him as usual…"

With a small laugh, I say, "Link went to get something from his room, that's all." At this my father gives me another smile, although this time there's something in his eyes that suddenly has me very self-conscious when Link calls from behind me, "Zelda? Are you ready to go?"

"I'll see you later tonight, at dinner," my father winks at me, before slipping something into my hand and heading off towards his office. As Link walks over to stand behind me, I glance down at the tiny pouch in my hand and take a quick peek inside; a little pile of blue, green, and even a few red rupees lie inside.

"How nice," Link grins, resting his chin on my shoulder as he looks into the pouch. "But you won't be needing it today."

"What-"

"Come on, we're wasting daylight!"

Rushing past me, my friend grabs my hand and pulls me after him, and as we head towards the door I can't help but shake my head and smile before I start to run with him.

* * *

We spend the day making rounds to several different places, but it's not until lunchtime when I finally notice it; as Link heads towards the bar to order some pumpkin soup, the back of his shirt comes up just enough that I see what looks like a dark bruise. Confused, I stare even harder when he leans against the counter and one of his sleeves comes up I see some more bruises.

When Link finally comes back to the table, I all but pounce on him; reaching up I grab his ear and pull him down to sit next to me. As he yelps in surprise, I let go of his ear and reach for his sleeve. When he sees me going for his shirt, Link tries to dodge my hand but nearly falls off his stool doing so and I easily grab his arm and pull up on the fabric.

I gasp quietly when I finally see it; ranging from a deep purple to a beginning yellow, several different shaped bruises decorate my friend's arm, and I'm sure that if I lift the rest of shirt I'll see more bruises on his back. Letting go of Link's arm, I stare at my friend earnestly before asking, "What's this? Why are you covered in bruises?"

Rather than looking concerned, Link shrugs before saying, "I was a little too careless when I was practicing yesterday, that's all."

"What were you practicing?!"

"Just some sword techniques! Sheesh, will you calm down?"

With a pout, I sit back and mutter, "No, I will NOT calm down. How many times do I have to tell you to take better care of yourself?"

"A lot," Link grins at me, before propping his chin up with one hand. When he continues to make faces at me I finally smile back, before smacking him lightly. Leaning against the table I ask, "So you were using a sword? What have you learned so far?"

For some reason my question flusters him, and immediately he begins to speak in a rush.

"Just some stuff," my friend says quickly. He coughs, then says, "Did you know that the Wing Ceremony is coming soon? Your father said something about giving you a special role. Do you know what it is?"

"He hasn't said anything to me yet," I reply, a bit surprised at the change of subject. "I think he's going to ask me to play the role of the Goddess though."

"The Goddess? What will you have to do?"

I sigh, before flicking Link's forehead. "Didn't you pay attention during the last Wing Ceremony?"

As our lunch is finally brought out to us, Link starts to dig into his food as he replies, "Yeah…kind of…"

"You probably just daydreamed the whole time didn't you?" I sigh again, before giving Link another smile. "The role of the Goddess is to sing the prayer at the end of the ceremony and to present a bird statue on top of the Goddess Statue. If I'm to play the role I'll also have to stitcha sailcloth, like the one the Goddess gave to her hero in the legend."

Link is quiet for a moment, before he looks me in the eye and asks, "Do you think that legend is true? About how Skyloft came to be…is that really what happened?"

I pause for a second before looking up at the ornate chandelier above us thoughtfully. Shoving my half-eaten bowl towards Link for him to finish, I rest my chin on both hands and say, "I believe it. I don't think it's just a legend at all."

Turning to look at a nearby window, I murmur, "You know, I read in my father's textbooks that there's a place out there…you know, one below the clouds."

"Hmm?"

When I look up, I'm not too surprised to see that Link is scarfing down the remains of my food, not paying much attention to me at all. With an exasperated sigh I giggle, "Never mind, you big goof! Where are we going after this then?"

* * *

"What do you have to show me?"

"It's a surprise."

"A surprise? From you? Link…"

"Come on, Zelda, I promise it'll be good!"

"…I don't know how much I trust that…"

My best friend just grins at me in the dark, the white of his teeth shining as we duck behind a nearby tree and wait for one of the night guards to pass us. Together we sneak past the guard and make our way down to the plaza, where Link turns to me and bows in a mock ceremonial fashion. I shove him playfully aside and start to make my way up the ladder, while Link waits below me and looks pointedly off in another direction; leggings or not, he knows better than to come climbing up after me right away.

Once he reaches the top of the light tower, I glance over only to see him scanning the surrounding area. Wondering what he could possibly be doing, I tilt my head in confusion and ask, "Link? What are you looking for?"

"Guards," he says simply, making me even more confused. There's no way any guards would be able to see us up here; not even the night guards that fly around on their loftwings check the top of the tower. Despite the fact that I've been sneaking out at night since I was just a kid, my father's orders to check the tower haven't stopped me after all these years as Link and I just skirt around the guards each time and make it back home before the sun rises.

As I stare, my mouth open in completely confusion, Link turns back to me and smiles widely. Putting both hands on his hips, he walks up to me and says, "Hey…remember what you said to me last time we came up here, a month ago?"

"Last month? Um…"

I rack my brain, trying to figure out exactly what it is my friend is talking about. Every time we've come up here we've always talked about different things, but right now I somehow can't remember just what it was we said. Link watches me for a full minute before he gives me another smile.

Walking closer to me, he leans in a bit and says, "You said how much you really liked to look at the night sky…and how much you wished you could fly at night, even just once."

When I blink, surprised that Link actually remembers something I said a month ago, my friend leans in even closer and I find myself heating up as he looks at me quietly; our faces are just inches apart, and when I look at him I suddenly realize just how much Link's grown.

Was he always this tall?

We're hardly children anymore…as he continues to stare at me and really begin to heat up, I move to take a step back when I feel his arm make its way around my waist.

"Zelda…" he says softly, and for a second I think something is going to happen when suddenly he grins wildly and grabs me fully with both arms. Hoisting me into the air, he lifts me high and then says cheerfully, "Here we go!"

The next thing I know we're falling from the top of the light tower, and as I open my mouth to scream Link pulls me closer, muffling the noise in his shoulder as I clutch at his shirt frantically.

 _What is he thinking!?_

 _Why did he jump off the top of the tower?!_

 _ **What's going to happen to us!?**_

Just when I think I'm about to die and it's all Link's fault I hear a whistling sound next to my ear; in a sudden flurry of feathers, Link and I land on something warm and firm.

"You can look now," Link says in a teasing voice, jostling me with one of his arms. "Hey, Zelda? Come on…did I scare you too much?"

Still grabbing a fistful of Link's shirt, I finally dare to look up; when I see that we're flying I panic even more. Twisting my upper body so that I'm fully facing Link, I start to hit him and scold at the same time.

"It's nighttime! We're not supposed to-"

"It's fine! Calm down and enjoy it, won't you? After I worked so hard to make sure my loftwing would at least know the way around Skyloft at night…"

I stop hitting Link for a second when I hear him say that, and when my mouth falls open in surprise he looks at me bashfully and mutters, "You could at least try and ENJOY the present I've been working on-do you know how many times I fell off my bird and didn't land properly? Look around you, Zelda!"

He grabs my chin and turns my face away from him; as I face the sky ahead of me I can't help but be amazed at what I'm seeing. Stars twinkle around me brightly, and from above Skyloft looks so peaceful, blanketed in the calm of the dark. When I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding I hear my friend laugh from behind me.

When I glance over my shoulder at him, Link gives me another teasing smile before he continues to steer his loftwing through the night. We're quiet for a few moments, before I mutter,"…could've killed me…

"What was that? A thank you?" Link teases, leaning against my back. "You're very welcome, birthday girl."

As I feel the warmth of his chest on my back, I blush a bit before clearing my throat and saying, "Thank you, Link.

Thank you."


	4. Chapter 4

_~~Link~~_

As I open the door to the Academy quietly and peek inside to make sure no one is around, I feel a light tug on the back of my tunic; glancing back over my shoulder I see Zelda holding onto the edge of my tunic with a sleepy look in her eyes. Staring at me, my best friend complains, "Link, I'm tiiiiiiired!"

Quickly I put a hand to her mouth and whisper, "Shhhh, shh, I know. We'll be at your room in a second so just be quiet!"

"Don' tell me wha to do," Zelda slurs grumpily, leaning against my back and closing her eyes. I can't help but smile at how silly she looks; between the two of us she may be more serious but she's never been able to stay awake properly after three in the morning. To this day it still makes me wonder how she used to get back to the Academy after sneaking out to the Light tower.

I open the door one more time, and after ensuring that the coast is clear I wrap one arm around my friend and hoist her inside. As she leans against me, mumbling something about pumpkins and the Goddess, I all but drag her to her room. Luckily Zelda isn't too heavy, and as I pull her onto her bed she blinks sleepily and then frowns up at me as I start to tuck her in.

"Wha are you doin?" Zelda protests. She starts to grab at my sleeve, and gently I push her off and say, "I'm putting you to bed. It's way past your bedtime young lady."

For a second she stops squirming to let my words sink in, and then the next thing I know she's wriggling even more as she tries to throw her covers off.

"I'm not…I'm not even that sleepy!" Zelda complains.

"Whatever! Go to sleep already!"

"Nooooooooo!" she wails; quickly I throw myself on top of her, practically squashing her in an attempt to stop her from being too loud.

Zelda squirms again for a minute before grumbling, "Gerrof!"

"Just….go….to….bed!" I say through gritted teeth as I finally manage to tuck her in all the way. As she glares at me, I lecture, "Look, it's WAAY past time to stay awake. Let's just go to sleep for now, okay?"

Rather than fighting back this time, the warmth of her blanket seems to overwhelm her and her eyes slowly start to close. With a sigh, I let go of the blanket and turn to go. Just as I take one step away from the bed, there's a squeaking noise; the next thing I know, I'm being pulled down onto the mattress. As I gasp for breath, Zelda tightens her arms around my neck and whispers, "Where are you going?"

"To bed!" I huff, before throwing her arms off of me and turning around to lean over her. As she pouts at me and fiddles with my sleeve, I feel myself heating up before I mutter, "Seriously Zelda, I'm going to bed. I'll see you tommorow, okay?"

"Mmm...mmmkay," my friend murmurs, although by the pout on her face I can tell she wants me to stay with her a few minutes longer. Convinced that she's finally going to fall asleep, I stand up and move towards the door before turning back quickly and giving her a hug.

Zelda giggles as her arms wrap around me, and as I close my eyes and hug her tighter she whispers, "You're the best, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know."

"See you tommorow?"

"Yeah."

By the time I make it back to my own room and get under the covers, I find that I'm even sleepier than usual. With one last contented sigh, I roll over and close my eyes.

* * *

" _Link….Link…"_

"… _..hero…."_

 _A distant voice echoes around me as I float in a blank space, the darkness of the void stretching as far as my eye can see._

"… _.Chosen….."_

 _The voice seems even fainter this time, but when I turn my head to look for it a sudden chill overcomes me; it's as if something terrible is going to happen, and frantically I begin to search for the cause of this feeling when a presence looms over me._

 _As I turn an icy breath blows down my spine, and a large shadow emerges, somehow distinct despite the fact that I am still engulfed in darkness. A gaping void of teeth faces me, and as fear begins to run through me I struggle to think of ways to escape. There is a sudden, piercing roar, and as I open my mouth to yell a bright figure darts in front of me._

 _Slowly I reach for the figure, my hands just within reach of the back of what looks like a robe when the same voice from before interrupts the strange sight before me._

" _Link….Link…LINK! WAKE UP!"_

I bolt awake, sitting up so fast that Zelda shrieks. As I stare down at my shaking hands, trying to remember how distinct the figures in my dream were, Zelda holds a hand to her chest before muttering, "Sheesh Link, I was just trying to wake you up…"

Glancing over at her, I apologize, replying, "Sorry, I just…I just had a weird dream."

At first Zelda gives me a look, before she sits on the edge of my bed and says simply, "Tell me about it."

She stares at me, willing me to speak; somehow everything I want to say seems to get stuck in my throat on the way out. I find myself unable to make a sound, and as I continue to watch my shaking hands I can't help but feel as if my dream could become a reality.

It's not until Zelda gently places her hands on top of mine that I look back up and meet her eyes. Looking up at me, my friend gives me a concerned look before asking quietly, "Link?"

The warmth of her hand on mine comforts me, calming me down; taking a deep breath, I open my mouth to say something when the door bursts open and Karane and Pipit walk on.

"Ooooh, flirting are you?" Karane teases, her eyes on where Zelda and I are holding hands. "Sorry for interrupting!"

Zelda stands up and brushes off her skirt, sticking her tongue out at Karane as she asks Pipit, "What's going on? Do you need Link for something?"

"Actually, we came to get both of you. We had a feeling you two would be together and since we knew Link wasn't awake yet we figured you'd be here," Pipit smiles at me, while Karane crosses her arms and gives me a friendly smile as well. "You wouldn't happen to know where Groose, Cawlin, and Stritch are, would you?"

When I make a face at hearing their names, Karane laughs loudly before saying, "Link, you don't have to look like that when we mention them!"

"We don't exactly get along, remember?" I remind Karane, earning myself a sympathetic look from the older girl.

Zelda sighs before asking, "So what did you need us for? Surely you didn't come here just to ask us to help you look for THOSE three."

"No, we actually need all five of you to meet in your classroom. Your father and instructor Horwell should be waiting for you there."

"Father?" Zelda looks puzzled, before she shrugs and reaches for my arm. Grabbing me, she pulls me out the door after her as she says, "Guess we'd better get going, Link. Pipit, I'm sure you don't need our help finding Groose and the others."

Waving us off with a smile, Pipit moves closer to Karane, saying, "Of course not! Karane and I are fine on our own!"

As Karane blushes ever so slightly, Zelda smiles at her friend before turning on her heel and calling over her shoulder, "Good luck you two!"

"See you later," I tell them as Zelda all but yanks me out of the room, leaving our upperclassmen to themselves. It's not until we get into the classroom that Zelda stops pulling on my arm.

Walking over to a desk, she sits on the table and mutters, "What's this? Father and instructor Horwell aren't here at all!"

"Maybe they're on their way," I shrug, walking over to lean against the table next to her. Zelda's quiet for a moment, before she peeks over at me curiously. Straightening up, my friend coughs before saying, "Are you going to tell me what you dreamt about?"

I shake my head, not wanting to get into it. Of all the people to talk to about dreams, Zelda is not one who takes anything lightly; I get the feeling that if she knew just how dark my dream was she'd take it as a herald of something terrible.

When she pouts at my response, I smile before jostling her with my shoulder.

"Hey now," I say in a low voice. "What's with that pout?"

Zelda says nothing, only pouting further and crossing her arms as she tries to ignore me making faces at her. As she turns her face from me, trying to keep herself from smiling, I take the opportunity to grab her stomach.

"L-Link!" Zelda gasps as I all but tackle her, tickling her fiercely. "St-st-stop it!"

She starts to laugh loudly, gasping for breath as I tickle her mercilessly. As she struggles, smacking me in an attempt to get away, I grin and tease, "Why're you laughing so hard? What's so funny?"

"Stop, stop!" Zelda giggles, finally giving up as I stop tickling her. "Okay, I give up-I give up!"

I open my mouth to say something when someone coughs; turning, we both look to see Pipit and Karane standing in the doorway. Behind Karane I can see Groose, practically fuming as he glares at me. Skipping over to us, Karane grabs Zelda around the waist and pulls her away from me, smirking as she tells me, "You'd better be glad it was just us and not the headmaster!"

I grin a bit as Groose and his cronies slink into the classroom, the group avoiding me as Pipit eyes them sternly.

I feel a piercing gaze on the back of my head, and when I turn around Groose is looking at me with complete disgust. When I stare back at him, he opens his mouth with a sneer to say something when Zelda interrupts in a loud voice.

"Good afternoon, Father, Instructor Horwell!" Zelda says loudly, causing all of us to straighten up as Gaepora enters the room. As the headmaster and instructor Horwell set up their things on the front desk and we all head for our seats, I see Zelda glance over at Groose with a attentive look in her eyes. Sitting down next to me, my friend throws her hair over her shoulder as I lean over and whisper, "Don't look, it just encourages him."

"Face forward and pay attention," my friend chides, ignoring my comment. I smile, before turning to look at where Horwell has moved to the center of the room.

He straightens his sash before clearing his throat and saying, "Students, we've gathered you today to announce that we will be holding the Wing Ceremony two weeks from today."

Pipit and Karane wink from where they stand on the side of the classroom, and my eyes widen as I realize what this means: someone is going to be promoted to the upper classes! As I fidget with excitement, Horwell continues to explain the rules and the roles everyone will have in the ceremony. At this point, I'm no longer paying attention-I'm far too caught up with the idea of being a sky knight.

I can see it now…the chain mail tunic, the sword at my side. I picture myself soaring through the clouds in formation with the other knights, exploring the sky islands.

I can see Zelda smiling proudly at me as she congratulates me for being made into a knight.

"Link? LINK!"

I'm brought back to the present by Zelda hissing my name, and when I blink I see that Pipit and Karane are snickering from the sidelines as Gaepora gives me a fond but exasperated look from where he stands by Horwell.

"As I was saying," Horwell continues, shooting me a look, "Zelda will play the role of the Goddess for this ceremony. The rest of you will be competing in a loftwing race. The winner will play the role of the hero, and will be promoted to the upper class at dawn the next day. You are all encouraged to practice flying your loftwings for the next week, but remember that you are forbidden from flying at night. Dismissed!"

We all stand and start to leave the room when Gaepora says, "Zelda, please stay behind. There are a few more instructions for you as you are playing the part of the Goddess."

"Yes, Father. Link, go practice! I'll meet you later by the Goddess Statue," Zelda tells me with a smile, before walking over to her father.

As I leave the room and start to walk down the hallway, I'm stopped by a voice.

"Link!" Pipit calls, running after me. "Hey, wait up!"

* * *

My legs swing over the edge of the rooftop as I drink a flask of pumpkin soup and stare at the sun as it goes down across the horizon. Beside me, Pipit reaches for the flask to take a swig before sighing happily and leaning back on his hands. Together we sit in silence, enjoying the sunset as the sky begins to turn from a light blue to a light orange, the reds and yellows painting the sky as the sun begins to set.

It's Pipit who breaks our silence; still staring out at the sky, my friend says, "I was a nervous wreck on the day of the ceremony when I was your age."

"Pipit, you talk like you're a fifty-year-old man. You're only nineteen, two years older than me!" I elbow him. "It wasn't that long ago that you became a knight."

"Yeah, you're right," Pipit smiles. "Remember when Karane joined the knights?"

I laugh, recalling last year's ceremony; Karane had all but rammed her bird into other participants and practically jumped off her bird to grab the statue hanging off of the yellow loftwing.

Leaning back, I reply, "Yeah, that's the ONLY part of the ceremony I remember, and the only reason I remember it is because Instructor Horwell brings it up when we're in lessons. He's always telling us, 'hold onto your bird with both hands' and, 'don't lean too far forward or you may slip and fall!'"

Pipt laughs at my imitation before handing the flask back to me. As I start to take a drink, he claps me on the back before telling me, "Work hard the next two weeks, Link. It's really important that you get promoted to knighthood this year."

"That's why you called me up here? To tell me to do my homework?"

"No, no," Pipit shakes his head. "It's a bit more than that. I'm telling you this because it's YOU. Link, you're one of the best flyers that the Academy has seen-all the instructors talk about it in the dining hall, and Eagus wouldn't be so eager to teach you swordplay if he didn't think you'd make the cut."

I hesitate for a moment, before asking, "So…you're telling me to try hard to get promoted to the senior class so I won't let anyone down?"

"So you won't let Zelda down," Pipit replies. "Don't you want to look good for her?"

My cheeks begin to burn, and quickly I avoid Pipit's eyes as I mutter, "Why's that matter to you?"

Jostling my shoulder, the upperclassmen tells me, "Give me a break, Link. You're my junior-and one of my closest friends here. And Zelda is the same. What senior doesn't want to see his favorite underclassmen get together?"

"Pipit!" I snap in embarrassment; I'm completely red at this point, and I can feel my ears turning red as the senior smiles at me. Standing up, Pipit gives me a wink before sauntering off. As I scramble to my feet to follow, he calls over his shoulder, "Don't forget! Work hard, Link!"

* * *

 __ **I am totally convinced that everyone in the Zelda universe ships Zelda and Link. Like, I'm 100% sure that everyone wants them to fall in love and be together forever XD Also, I know there's been a lot of time skips but this was the last one! They're staying at young adult stage from now on, so everything is going to be fairly regular now!**

 **So I feel like both of them have always danced over the line of flirtation and friendship, and the older they get the more they stay on the side of flirtation (that, and I find it hard to believe that anyone would NOT be into Link. I mean seriously-he's super handsome). Also, Link is not only so crazy that he would try to fly at night, but I also do get the feeling he would be the kind of person who DID show off his relationship with Zelda, whether intentional or not.** **Besides, nobody on here better tell me that they played the game and they never tried to fly at night :P I tried every chance I got and so I feel like Link would totally do the same thing XD**

 **Thank you all so much for the reads and reviews! I really appreciate everything and hope to see you all on the next update! Until then :)**


	5. Chapter 5

~~Zelda~~

He's running around again, so fast that he's bound to trip over himself.

It's only two seconds before my prediction turns out to be correct; fumbling over himself, Link slams head first into the ground as Pipit laughs from a distance away. I can almost hear Link grumbling to himself as he struggles to his feet and clumsily lunges after the senior.

As I stifle a laugh, my father clears his throat with impatience. Instantly I turn, a slight blush of embarrassment grazing my cheeks as I realize I've been staring hard out the window for the last solid minute of my father's lecture.

My father stares at me before giving a long, heavy sigh.

"Zelda," he says, in a voice more matter-of-fact than reproachful. "I understand that this isn't the most interesting topic but to completely tune me out is too much."

"I'm sorry, Father," I reply meekly, feeling even worse when he just sighs again. Pushing a thick stack of books in my direction, he looks over his lens at me before nodding at the door. I know a dismissal when I see one; quickly I grab the pile and turn on my heel, trying my hardest not to look like I'm running away as fast as I can.

Just before I reach the door, I hear him clear his throat.

"Make sure you put good effort into your sailcloth. I know Link will use it for a long time and he loves the ancient crest design that you embroidered on your bedsheets."

As my face overheats, I glare over my shoulder to see my father smirking at me. Without replying back, I shove my way out the door to his laughter and run straight to my room.

* * *

My door slams behind my loudly as I throw my books onto the bed, trying to calm myself down.

He's just teasing you, I tell myself. Get a grip, Zelda, it's just a joke!

I nod, confirming my own thoughts and turn to go when my eyes fall on the pattern adorning my bedsheets. The large, ancient looking wings of the pattern I embroidered seem to beckon me, and without realizing it my gaze subconsciously shifts to my unfinished sailcloth.

Then, before I can talk myself out of it, I quickly sit down and pick up my sailcloth. As my needle darns in and out, I mutter under my breath to myself words of encouragement and reassurance.

"It's not like it's that much more work," I tell myself, quickly sifting through my spools of thread until I find the perfect shade of blue. "It's only a small pattern."

I continue to sew, completely engrossed with my task as my minds wanders to the classroom earlier.

* * *

 _Link looks straight ahead, his eyes glazed over as if his brain has left the station. Honestly, it probably has._

 _He's always been like this though._

 _For as long as I can remember, he's been this way; his head up in the clouds, constantly doing whatever he wants without really thinking it through. Granted that's something I've always liked about him. I've always envied how he's able to touch the sky, to really feel one with it. I love the clouds and feeling of being on my Loftwing as well, but when I fly with Link I always feel like I'm a step behind._

 _He's impulsive, and crazy in all the best ways, Link. Sometimes I wonder how either one of us survived past childhood with the amount of ridiculous things he somehow convinced me to do._

 _Either way, he's still staring ahead with a blank look on his face as Instructor Horwell drones on about the ceremony._

 _"This is an important ceremony; it is not just about promotion to Sky Knight," Horwell continues, not noticing that most of us stopped listening awhile ago. "This is a ceremony to honor the Goddess and the hero, as Skyloft would never have been created without them. This is a sacred ceremony first and foremost, and I expect all of you to treat it with the respect it deserves. The Goddess watches ever on and above, and it is by her will we are able to live as safely as we do here. Although we may no longer follow all the old traditions, this is still vital to our way of life."_

 _It's at that moment that Horwell makes eye contact with me. He pauses for a moment, before his tone changes to a more meaningful one._

 _"The Goddess is, as you all know, the one who created Skyloft. There was a great war before Skyloft, and fearing for her people she gathered together our ancestors and sent them skyward to what are known today as our Sky Isles. Although much of our history has been lost, we know that she and the hero were the ones who protected us in those times and it is this ceremony that honors them."_

 _Finally, Horwell looks over to see Link staring into nothingness. Quickly I elbow my friend, jostling him back to the present. As Karane and Pipit snicker from the side, I can't help but shake my head at my hopeless friend._

* * *

It's early dusk by the time I look up again from my work. For a minute I sit back in my chair, admiring the design. The sweeping wings of the crest seem to jump out at me, and there's something almost nostalgic in the pattern. After finding it in one of my father's oldest texts, I was eager to recreate it. It surprised me enough that i was able to do it; I smile to myself, remembering the first time Link saw it and vocalized his agreement.

Link…

Shoot! Link!

I bolt up, pushing my chair back so quickly that it knocks over. I was supposed to meet him at the Goddess Statue ages ago, and it's already beginning to grow dark enough that he's surely grown impatient.

Even if he'll wait for me as long as he needs to, it still doesn't look good on my part to completely abandon him when I was the one who asked to meet.

I rush out the door haphazardly, not bothering to close my door quietly as I dash towards the exit of the academy and towards the Goddess Statue. It's a quick run, but after a few flights of stairs I find myself winded and having to take a small breather.

Still, I push on as quickly as I can and before I know it I've dashed through the archway that leads to the Statue of the Goddess. As the statue looms overhead, my gaze falls down towards the very edge of the area; slowly and quietly, I walk towards the statue and around towards the back.

Sure enough, he's still here-Link appears to lying under a tree, fast asleep as the sun sets in the vast distance. Walking up next to him I debate whether or not I should shake him awake when I see the peaceful look on his face.

It's nothing like the look of terror he wore this morning, and seeing it suddenly activates my protective instincts. Silently I sit down next to him, leaning against the tree as he shifts in his sleep and mutters something under his breath.

"No…" he mumbles, turning over to face me. As his eyebrows draw together, I hesitate before reaching out to gently touch his cheek.

"What could you possibly be dreaming about?" I ask, more to myself than him. With a pout, I poke the crease in his forehead that's caused by his suddenly troubled look. Could it be that he's catching a cold or something?

Worried, I reach forward to check his temperature. As my fingers brush against his forehead, I feel an abrupt coldness. The chill doesn't seem to stop with just my fingers; it courses through my veins, and as I gasp and draw my hand back from Link I feel a deeply unsettled, almost as if something sinister has come over me. I rub my arms furiously, trying to rid myself of the strange sensation when Link begins to mutter more feverently.

"Stop...stop…" he groans, tossing and turning on the ground. "Stop! Nnrgh!"

Link begins to thrash around wildly, and as he begins to writhe in agony I find myself terrified. I want to run, to scream for help, anything- but it's as if my voice is trapped in my throat and quickly the unsettling feeling from before seems to swell within me.

With a whimper, I draw myself closer to Link. As he jerks in his sleep, sorrow suddenly overwhelms me, and the pain of it has me gasping and clutching at my heart.

What is this?

I have to wake him up- _I have to._ I have to save him from whatever nightmare he's having, no matter what. Just as I reach out to shake him, I realize the absurdity of the situation; he's just having a nightmare. He's had plenty of those before this and surely he'll have one again.

Why is it that I feel this deep, unyielding grief?

Why does the pain of it grip me, stealing my breath?

Why does the image of Link in pain seem burned into my mind even though he's just here in front of me a few inches away?

 _Why…?_

Finally, I find myself able to reach out towards my friend. Firmly grasping his shoulder, I begin to shake him and call his name.

"Link, wake up! Link! Link!"

As I call his name over and over again, I find unexplainable tears falling down my cheeks. Before I can wipe them away though, Link's eyes open to meet mine. There's a second of shock, before he reaches up to touch my cheek.

"Zelda?" he questions me, his eyes searching for an answer that isn't there. "Why…? What are you doing? Why are you crying?"

He seems to realize that he's on the ground, and quickly he sits up to take in his surroundings before turning his attention back to me. He seems to have almost forgotten about whatever he was dreaming about as he examines me with anxiety in his eyes.

"Seriously, why are you crying? I just took a nap because you were taking forever to get here…"

When he makes a half-hearted joke, I snap out of my daze; swiping away the tears at my cheeks, I straighten myself out before making a face at him.

"I...um...I…."

He's still searching for an explanation in my face when I sigh loudly.

"I'm not really sure what just happened," I say carefully, "but you were having some kind of nightmare and I tried to wake you up. I felt like something awful had just come over me and the tears just...happened…"

When I mention his nightmare, his expression freezes before he sighs loudly as well.

"It's wasn't anything. It was just a weird dream," Link tries to reassure me, although in the corner of my eye I notice his hands still trembling.

With a frown, I grab his hands and hold them up.

"Is it the same nightmare you had this morning? Because I'm seriously starting to get worried about it. This isn't like any nightmare I've seen you have before-what is it?"

Quickly Link averts his eyes, angering me. Just as I open my mouth to start pestering him more, he answers me.

"I don't know what it is," he whispers. As I drop his hands, he draws his knees to his chest and mumbles, "I don't know, Zelda. All I know is that whatever it is, it's terrifying. I can't even figure it out, and that's probably the most terrifying part."

His meekness has me on edge; Link is many things, but scared is never one of them. Edging closer, I inspect his demeanor before asking, "Could you face it though? If you could figure out what it is?"

"Of course," he tells me, a half-smile coming to his face. "Honestly, I'm not even that scared of it coming for me. It feels like it's coming for someone else, something or someone close to me, and that's the really scary part. I just feel helpless."

Link falls silent, the troubled look from earlier back on his face. I have so many questions, so many things I want to ask him, but when I see that look on his face I feel my resolve crumble. All I want now is for the two of us to feel better-to feel safe.

I lean my head against his shoulder as we look out towards the setting sun, and I feel him relax at my touch.

And together we sit that way for a long time in silence.

* * *

 **Hey guys! So it's been awhile...XD Basically I've been busy with life (graduation, trying to become a working adult, all that good stuff) and my laptop died in the middle of that. I literally just got a new one like, a week ago. I'm really excited to be back to writing! I can't promise frequent updates like I used to, but I definitely won't take another year-long break.**

 **Anyway, coming back into the game like this is kind of a longshot-I don't totally remember everything about this or where I was going with it but I'm going to ride it out because I really love writing and I feel like this is one of those stories I want to tell more than anything. Link and Zelda are like, the first couple I ever shipped. I owe it to myself to finish this and tell it the way I want, and all I can do is hope that people appreciate it for what it is. Thank you all for reading, and I appreciate any and all feedback :) Many happy reads to you, and I hope to see you on the next update!**


	6. Chapter 6

_~~Link~~_

I wake up in a cold sweat again, feeling the same chill I've been feeling for the last week. Upset, I sit up and wipe my forehead off before glancing at myself in the mirror. A pale, weak face greets me there, and with a groan I roll out of bed and start to fix myself up again.

It's getting ridiculous at this point.

The nightmare from before continues every night, each time with a new addition.

This time I heard a voice like before, but I was somewhere else-not Skyloft. I was beyond that, below it, in a strange place where there was nothing but darkness and doubt…

At this point it's almost as if waking up is a relief rather than something to complain about. I used to hate waking up but at this point I actually hate falling asleep. As I mutter crankily under my breath, I hear a knock at my door.

"Link? You up?"

"What do you think?" I answer, grinning a bit as Zelda opens the door and smiles at me. Neither of us has brought up what happened at the Statue of the Goddess since we got back, and that strange moment for us seems to be like a faded memory of the past. Part of me still wonders why she cried that day, but given that I wasn't willing to disclose much about my dream I can't expect her to tell me anything.

As I stare at her, Zelda makes a face before turning on her heel. Over her shoulder she calls, "Hurry up. We're going flying until you and your Loftwing are completely ready."

"Zelda, I still have two days-"

"If you don't come right now, I'm not talking to you for a week even if you win at the ceremony," my friend informs me without so much as turning to look back. With one last grumble I smooth my hair down and chase after her.

We're already outside the academy by the time I manage to catch up to her, and quickly I grab her hand to stop her from outwalking me.

"Slow down, I haven't even had breakfast yet," I complain, massaging my stomach as it gurgles sadly. "I can't function on an empty stomach like this."

Zelda turns back to me with a small giggle; in one hand she holds a wrapped package, and she gives me a look that tells me she's got food in there. She doesn't give me a chance to ask her what it is when she takes off running.

"The kitchen is closed for breakfast since you slept in without me to wake you up," she informs me as she runs. "I have some food here if you can catch it!"

It takes me a second to process what she's saying before the meaning of it really kicks in-I start running quickly, gaining ground on her as I start to realize why she didn't lecture me for sleeping in today.

"You big jerk!" I yell as she giggles and throws herself off the nearest ledge. "Seriously?!"

"Seriously," she tells me with a grin as she rises above me, her Loftwing beating its wings furiously. As her bird takes off, flying towards the clouds I mutter a curse word under my breath before following suit.

I jump off the ledge, and as I fall towards the layer of clouds below I whistle shrilly to call my Loftwing. The red bird breaks my fall, and together we pursue Zelda. We breathe as one, and leaning in I try to connect to my Loftwing.

He senses my earnestness, and eager to please me he rises to the challenge. Quickly he catches the flow of the wind and together we rise with the air currents. As we soar even higher, I try to get a good view of where Zelda went. She's disappeared in the amount of time it's taken us to rise, but when I see a small cluster of islands to the far east something in my gut tells me that's where we're headed.

My Loftwing responds immediately, swooping lower and tucking his wings in as we dive to gain speed. It's only a matter of minutes before we fly closer to the islands, and even from the distance we're at I can see Zelda's Loftwing struggling to fly faster as we gain on it.

It's over in a few seconds; we catch up to Zelda quickly, and as we fly above her I slip one leg over the edge of my Loftwing. Holding onto the side of my Loftwing, we shift to a new angle and I hang off my bird.

Zelda yelps in surprise as I lean over her and grab the package straight from her hands.

"I'll just be taking this," I tease her, sticking my tongue out as my Loftwing turns itself right-side up and I climb back aboard safely. As the two of us zoom towards land I can hear her yelling at me with a mix of anger and exasperation in her voice.

* * *

It's late afternoon when she finally catches me lounging on one of the smaller islands. As she slips off her Loftwing and walks towards me, I turn on my side and prop myself up with an elbow. I grin, only to be greeted by a scowl.

"Weren't you supposed to be helping _me_ train? It seems like you got more training in today than I did," I joke, watching the scowl deepen the closer she comes. Running up to me, she slams one of her fists into my chest, causing me to fall down laughing as she flops down next to me with a frustrated look on her face.

"Shut up," she tells me as I laugh even harder, holding my sides. "I can't help that you've been to Knight training and I haven't. I'm supposed to be studying so that I can learn to be an Instructor, not a training with you to be a Sky Knight."

"I know, I know," I reply, grabbing her arm and pulling her down next to me. "Just relax for a second, alright?"

We lay side by side in silence for a moment before I feel her hand touch mine. Easily, I grab her hand and her fingers interlock with mine as we stare up at the endless blue sky above us.

Being with her like this is like breathing; it's natural, this closeness, and for a moment I wonder when it got to be this way. When did we get to the point where we had this unspoken bond?

Have we always been this close?

 _Will_ we always be this close?

I feel troubled by the thought for a second when her hand tightens in mine, clearing out my doubtful thoughts.

"You're impossible," she tells me, turning her head slightly to give me the stink-eye. "I worked my butt off on that sailcloth and if I have to give it to anyone else but you I think I'll be so sick I'll throw up at the ceremony."

I stifle a laugh at the thought, before squeezing her hand.

"Come on, like I'd ever let anyone else get a sailcloth you made. That's one of a kind-no way I'd ever make anyone else put up with your…'interesting' stitching patterns."

"...you're a dork."

"So are you."

"You're worse."

She's quiet for another second before she asks, "Link?"

"Mmmm?"

"Do you ever feel like there's something you've forgotten, but no matter how hard you want to remember it you can't?"

"Where is this coming from?"

"Just hear me out," she says. "Last week...at the Statue of the Goddess. I felt like I had seen you like that before. Actually, I feel almost like all of this has happened before."

"All of this?"

She waves one hand impatiently in the air. "Our friendship, our lives together...all of it. I just had this overwhelming feeling for a second, and then I felt so, so sad. Do you ever have that?"

I pause for a minute to think about it. It isn't like I don't understand what she means. The two of us have always had strange nostalgic feelings, and we've always expressed them. Granted none of them have ever been like this but…

Suddenly the images from my nightmare flash in my mind and I shudder. When Zelda looks at me questioningly, I just shake my head and pull her close, into a hug.

"I can't explain stuff like this either, but honestly at this point I don't really want to. Can't you just be happy that you're here with me right now? Let's just...let's just focus on now. On being together right now."

She breathes into my chest, before mumbling, "Okay okay, don't get so dramatic on me."

When I pull back, I see she smiling up at me with a look so sad it breaks my heart. It's as if we can't get over this-we can't escape whatever it is that's keeping us from being the way we were before I started having these nightmares.

Zelda rolls over and sits ups, facing Skyloft. As the sun reflects off her hair, she says, "We should probably be getting back soon."

I don't bother replying, my gaze falling on her face as I analyze her.

Her eyes glint with a melancholy look, and as her hair falls around her face I remember that she's not just my best friend; she's _way_ more than that.

She's beautiful.

She's always been beautiful, but when she looks back and makes eye contact with me, I suddenly feel like my heart has dropped to my stomach.

When did she start making me feel this way?

It's been years since I've started to see her more as a woman and less as just a friend, but when did it start to feel like I needed to really tell her?

I've always liked her-that's a given.

That was never the question.

The question was always whether or not to tell her and risk everything. And while I'm more than sure she feels the same way about me as I do about her, gathering up the nerve to actually SAY something is harder than it seems.

I realize I've been staring too long when she smacks me on the arm.

"Let's go home, Link," she says, standing up and brushing her skirt off. As Zelda starts to walk away, I realize I have to do something about this. The feeling that I need to stop her from leaving overcomes me, and I reach out and grab her hand, stopping her.

I can't keep sitting on it.

I have to tell her-more, now than ever, I feel like I have to tell her.

 _Why do I feel like I have to tell her, no matter the risks?_

 _It's just Zelda._

Zelda looks at me with a question in her eyes, and quickly I decide to act on this sudden impulse.

"Hey," I say, the words coming out so quickly they sound breathy. "I have something I want to tell you. I've wanted to tell you for...Goddess, I don't know how long."

"So tell me already," she laughs softly, her eyes softening. "Come on then."

Just as I gather the courage to say something, I hear an echo a voice in my mind.

 **" _Hylia...I have to tell you something. I've wanted to tell you for so long."_**

I freeze, unsure of what just happened.

When Zelda coughs, I remember where I am and suddenly blurt out, "I can't tell you yet. Not until after the ceremony."

"Why, is it something you need to be a knight for?"

"No...but I want to. It'll be better that way. Trust me."

She throws her head back, laughing, and my heart jumps at the sight.

"When have I ever not trusted you?" Zelda chides me gently, before she smiles. "I'll wait. I know you'll tell me when you pass the ceremony with flying colors."

My breath catches in my throat as I ask, "So you'll wait?"

She pauses, before she blushes.

"I'd wait for as long as I had to for you, if I had to. I'd wait for forever, Link."

* * *

Pipit watches me with concerned eyes.

"So...you almost confessed, but then changed your mind?" he confirms, and I nod silently, watching the myriad of looks on my friend's face. He process it for about a minute before he mumbles something under his breath so quietly I have to ask him to repeat it.

"Are you KIDDING me!?" Pipit yells, startling me. As I fall backwards and step into the nearest pot, Pipit stares at me with a look of accusation and pride on his face.

"How is it," he continues, ignoring me as I try to pull my leg out of the pot, "How is it that you FINALLY confess to something that EVERYONE has been watching happen for years but not actually get the words out?"

"Wait, what do you mean everyone-"

"Not to mention," Pipit interrupts me, "You trying for the role of the hero to Zelda who is playing the role of the Goddess. It's like the Goddess herself is TRYING to force you two together and you're not even taking this seriously."

Coming closer, he grabs my foot and pulls the vase off easily before giving me another exasperated look.

I have no answer to his look, but when I see him winding up for another lecture I quickly interject, "I can't help it. We've been best friends for years. You think it's that easy to transition from friends to….to lovers?"

At the word lovers Pipit gets the world's sappiest look on his face, but I push on anyway.

"I've been with her for as long as I can remember. At some point it turned into what it is now, and it's just...it's hard, Pipit. It so easy to just be with her without having to define it, even though I know I have to and I just...I don't know what to do and I came to you asking for help and not a lecture so will you please shut up and help me?"

The senior crosses his arms before sighing loudly. He begins to pace around the room, and just as I start to feel nervous about what he's going to say, he sighs again and gives me a look.

"Link, I'm going to tell you this because you're my cute junior and I know you and Zelda belong together."

"Don't call me cute."

"Don't talk back," he says sternly, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

"Link," Pipit begins. "You are at a crossroads. When you tell her, this is going to be the defining point in your life-and while I don't think you have anything to worry about, I also understand the uncontrollable fear of rejection. You need to ask yourself what you want more-do you want to always be by her side and be set aside when someone else comes to get her? Or would you rather live knowing that you were able to be honest with her and yourself about this?"

* * *

 **Yayyyy another chapter?**

 **Yay? Nay?**

 **I do realize that it may feel like things are inconsistent given that I wrote the first four chapters over a year ago, so I apologize for that but hope you can appreciate the rest of the story for what it is now. That being said, I am following the game...just not completely. Naturally there will be changes but hopefully they aren't so far-fetched that you all will hate them XD And like I said, it probably feel like two different stories right now, so please be patient as as I start over and try to pick up from a LONG time ago.**

 **To me, Link and Zelda just kind of...belong. I mean everyone wants to label it, but in reality the two of them have always just belonged together so strongly that it's hardly occurred to either of them to really 'make it official' or whatever.**

 **I'm so super grateful for all the reads and reviews, and I'm very thankful in the faith you have in me to keep updating this fanfic :) Thanks so much, and I hope to see you on the next update!**


	7. Chapter 7

_~~Zelda~~_

It's the morning of the ceremony.

It's finally here.

As I brush my hair, I try to steady my nerves; it doesn't matter that I'm going to be in front of people I've known my whole life. I'm still nervous and I can't seem to keep myself from shaking. The ceremony, the song, all of it.

All of it is weighing on me more than it should.

Of course, what Link said to me a couple of days ago doesn't help make me feel any better. It isn't really a matter of curiosity; part of me has the distinct feeling that he's finally going to say something about our strange relationship.

Not quite a couple, but not just friends.

It seems as if we've danced around this line ever since we first got our Loftwings. It's something I've always felt but have never really said aloud, and when I consider that he's going to break our current relationship part of me has me nervous.

What will this mean for us?

Even if we've always crossed this line in some ways, won't saying it aloud make us more conscious of it?

As I'm worrying, I hear a loud noise from my window and looking up I see my Loftwing is knocking its beak against the pane. When I meet its eyes I calm down for a bit and turn to look at the pink dress waiting for me on my chair.

It's an outfit that those who play the Goddess wear, and as I slip it on and wrap the sailcloth around my shoulders, I feel a bit silly. When I look up in the mirror something still feels off. Picking up loose strands of hair, I look down in my sewing kits until I find a few white and blue ribbons.

"Maybe something fancy, just for today…"

As I finish tying up my hair I admire myself; with my hair like this, I really don't look so strange…

" _Your hair..it looks nice like this."_

I jolt back, startled at the strange voice that seems to echo in the far corner of my mind. The voice is deep and mellow, but there's something in the tone that reaches straight to my heart in the same way that Link's voice does.

What was that?

For a second I consider dwelling on this before shaking my head to push it to the edge of my thoughts. I don't need this today, right now.

Right now all I need is to focus on the day ahead of me.

* * *

I get to the Statue of the Goddess early; standing at the base of the effigy, I take a deep breath before turning to the case my father handed me a few days ago.

When the shiny, golden harp emerges from the velvet case, I hold it up to the Goddess Statue.

"Please watch over me and guide me today," I pray. "Please help me with the ceremony...and please help Link!"

I bow, before straightening up and strumming the harp gently. It's a beautiful instrument, with a sound that I've only heard a few times. It's a prop instrument, but all the same it sounds beautiful.

As I hum the Goddess' Song under my breath, my Loftwing slowly glides down to me before standing in front of me. It bows to me, touching my head gently with its giant beak before making a few noises.

"What is it?" I ask. "I'm trying to practice."

My Loftwing appears impatient, and as it shifts from foot to foot before looking at the academy I suddenly realize what it wants. With a smile, I produce a letter.

"Did you think I forgot this?" I giggle. "Give me some credit, I know better than anyone that Link won't wake up without help from me." As I hand the letter to the Loftwing, it touches my head again before taking off in the distance.

It's not long before Link comes stumbling up towards me.

As I hear him come up behind me, I stop practicing my song and turn to see him staring at me with a look that has me wanting to blush.

"...well?" I ask hesitantly, wanting to hear what he has to say.

"It looks good," he replies simply, smiling warmly as he comes closer. "This is why you woke me up so early?"

"I wanted you to be the first to see it," I say slyly, trying to goad him into blushing. It works; he starts to turn beet red, but a look of resolution comes over his face. He strides closer, and when he reaches me he looks down at me.

I stare back up at him, at a loss for words.

Slowly, hesitantly, he reaches out to touch my hair before saying, "Your hair...it looks nice like this."

"Yeah?" I say breathlessly, my head beginning to pound as Link says the exact same words I heard this morning.

"Yeah." He stares at me again, before his hand reach around to the back of my head. Pulling me close, he closes his eyes and rests his forehead to mine.

"I'm glad you wanted me to see you first," he whispers, and I swallow nervously at his proximity. At this point it's almost as if he's already telling me how he feels.

As he leans in a bit closer, I feel myself wanting to lean in as well.

We're so close I can feel his breath-but before either of us can move anymore we hear someone clearing their throat loudly.

"I see you got up early to practice, you two."

My father's voice jolts both of us into action; Link all but trips backwards over his own feet and I feel myself heating up with embarrassment as I wrench myself away from Link and face my father, who is staring at us with an amused look on his face.

"G-g-good morning," I manage to stutter out as Link falls down the stairs and quickly springs back to his feet. "How are you today, Father?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I was just taking a morning stroll when I heard some singing. You sound wonderful, dear."

When he finishes his sentence with a sparkle in his eye, I realize he's been here the whole time. Thoroughly embarrassed at this point, I huff and turn to Link who is looking like he wants to die.

"Link, you should warm up for the race and get some extra practice in," I say quickly. As my friend shoots me a look, I ignore it before walking to him and grabbing his arm. Hauling Link towards the nearest ledge, I continue to talk.

"Let's make sure you're prepared, you really need to win today."

"Wait, Zelda-"

"No complaining, you're doing this whether you like it or not."

"No, Zelda, I don't feel my Loftwing out there right now-"

"No excuses!" I yell, and as we reach the edge I shove him over hard. Link begins to whistle, and I calm down, but when the whistling gets more urgent I realize something is wrong. A look of concern comes over my father, but before he can do anything I'm already over the ledge.

Quickly my Loftwing catches me, and we race towards Link's falling body. As we reach him, I hold my hand out and grab him, hauling him onto my bird. He's breathing hard, and I urge my Loftwing to Skyloft quickly;my bird is nowhere near as strong as Link's, and I know we won't last long if we don't get to ground soon.

We're deposited roughly near the edge of the town, and as the two of us gasp for breath my father hovers over us with a worried look.

"What happened?" he asks, but all we can do is shake our heads before Link looks up and mutters, "My Loftwing…

* * *

After asking around the academy it's beginning to get clearer what happened. Although there's no conclusive evidence, it's definitely seems like Groose and his cronies have something to do with this.

With Link trailing behind me, trying to convince me not to start any fights, I march towards the plaza where I know Groose is warming up.

"Come on, Zelda. I'll find my Loftwing, don't bother with those idiots."

"They're delaying the ceremony AND being disrespectful to everyone. I can't stand by that," I reply shortly as Groose comes into sight. As we march up to them, Groose stands quickly and comes to greet us.

"Zelda," he says excitedly, before his eyes trail over to Link with disgust. "How can I help you? Also may I say, you look lovely in-"

"Shut it," I snap, not caring anymore that I'm being rude. "Where did you put his Loftwing?"

Groose shrugs, appearing unaffected by my accusations.

"Zelda, what makes you think I'm the kind of man who would take another man's Loftwing?" he says, in a voice that makes me sick. Moving past me, he walks up to Link and begins to talk snidely to him.

"Are you going around tell people I stole your Loftwing? Man, the things some people do out of jealousy." Groose shrugs and laughs meanly. "Don't start rumors like that, Link. It only makes you look bad."

Link frowns, and I see his fist clench as he gears himself up for a punch. Seeing that, Groose grins and also tenses up while his two friends stand up menacingly behind me.

I can't stand it anymore; angry, I turn around and give Groose's friends a look that has them stepping back with fear. In a rage, I push myself between Groose and Link and hold a warning finger up to Groose's face.

"Stop threatening Link," I warn him in a tone that has him cowering. "How dare you stand here pretending you did nothing wrong when you're the only person who could've done something like this!"

Fiercely, I turn on my heel and head towards the waterfall. As I walk, I can hear Link trailing along behind me. He says nothing until we get to the edge of the waterfall cave, but when I stop and turn around I see him holding his sides while silent tears of laughter run down his face.

I make a face at him, and he bursts out laughing, before saying, "You're really something, Zelda. I thought you were going to eat him alive."

"I almost did."

"Seriously, you have to stop doing stuff like that, it just makes me look weak."

"I'm not letting you get beaten up on the day of the ceremony. Let's just hurry up and find your Loftwing. There's only one place we haven't checked where he could have trapped it, and it's here at the Waterfall Cave."

"Okay but you can't-"

"I'm coming with you."

We glare at each other before he sighs and rubs his forehead.

"I don't have time to fight you right now, so just...just stay behind me alright? It's not exactly safe in there. I borrowed a sword from Captain Eagus awhile ago so we'll be fine just don't...don't do anything."

I nod, willing to listen to him as long as he lets me follow him. He gives me one more exasperated look before heading to the cave. As we enter and the darkness overwhelms us, I grab the back of Link's tunic. It isn't so much that I'm scared that I feel better knowing he's right here with me.

As we walk through the small cave and head towards the back, I glance around nervously. It feel like something's watching us, and it's not long before a pair of beady eyes glare back at me. When Link feels my grip tighten he quickly glances up to see a bat fall from the ceiling, screeching at us.

While I duck, he cleaves the bat in two with an easy swipe of his sword. I breathe a sigh of relief, trying not to look at the remains as he re-sheaths his sword and grabs my hand. Pulling me behind him again, we make it safely through the rest of the small cave, no worse for the wear.

* * *

"Yep, he definitely did it."

As Link unties his bird, I grumble to myself, angry that I didn't let Link knock Groose out while he had a chance. The red Loftwing gives a happy cry as its released, and it immediately jumps into the sky where my own Loftwing greets it eagerly.

While the two Loftwings frolic in the sky, Link turns to me with a sigh of relief.

"I'm just glad we found him and that we can finally get this ceremony started," Link says wearily, wiping some sweat off his forehead as he watches our birds. "Either way, this was too much and Groose needs to be taught a personal lesson. Don't bother telling the Instructors-I'll beat him fair and square. We'll see how cocky he is when I'm the one walking around with your sailcloth."

I smile, and open my mouth to reply when something seems to take over me. A sharp, throbbing pain pierces my head and I grab at it, turning to look out beyond the clouds as a voice I've never heard before enters my mind.

 _Goddess….._

 _Help us...please…._

 _ **Please….please help us!**_

It isn't until Link puts his hand on my shoulder that I realize where I am.

"Are you okay?" He asks, concern painting his features as he gazes into my eyes worriedly .

"Yeah, yeah, just….did you hear that?"

When Link gives me a blank look, I point out towards the clouds and say, "Out there. It sounded like a call, like someone needed my help…"

"Watch it, now you're the one daydreaming," Link teases me, but as he starts to talk about something else I tune him out and look towards the horizon.

The urgency of the voice pulls me, and I can't help but feel as if I wasn't just hearing things. Given the circumstances lately, maybe I haven't just been hearing things-could they possibly be real?

Mid-sentence I interrupt Link; my gaze fixed on that distant place, I say, "Link. Remember what i said before, on my birthday?"

"...no?You said a lot of things?"

"I said that I read before that there's something else out there, under the clouds. That there's something down there on the Surface. Do you think...well I don't know. But it feels like that's where that voice came from."

Link hesitates, before putting a hand on my arm to comfort me.

"Zelda," he reasons, "Even if there IS something down there, no one could ever break through the Cloud Barrier. Many have tried over the centuries, haven't they? Besides that, I don't want to go down there. I don't want YOU to go down there-I'm sure it's nothing."

"You're sure?"

When I meet his eyes, he looks away.

It's subtle, but it's enough to tell me that he's still hiding something. I stare at him harder, willing him to tell me when we hear a horn blowing.

Any arguments I had are wiped away at that sound; it's the call for the ceremony to start, and both of us have places to be. Meeting my eyes Link smiles at me hesitantly, asking for my forgiveness even though he has no reason to do so.

"Fly with me?" he asks, holding out his hand.

 _I don't care,_ I realize. _I don't care if he's hiding stuff from me._

 _I just want to be happy with Link. I want to stop this foreboding feeling from creeping in on our relationship._

 _I just want to stay by his side._

As a strange feeling of nostalgia fills me, I smile back, and together we leap off the edge hand in hand.

* * *

When we arrive at the plaza, I run straight to my father. While Link walks over to where Groose and the other participants are waiting, I straighten myself out and grab the harp from the bag my father offers me, tucking it into my belt before walking back to everyone.

As I approach, I can hear Groose going on about something, and the closer I get the more I hear.

"Don't think we haven't noticed it," Groose leers at my friend, his pompadour waving around furiously. "You parade around like you're so special just because you and Zelda are childhood friends. Well today's the day that ends! I'll be the one to win the ceremony, and then Zelda will fly with me to the top of the tower…"

Groose turns around, unaware that I've come to stand next to Link and that I can hear every word that's being said.

"She'll give me her sailcloth, and then we'll be all alone. We'll look out at the horizon, and we'll have a special moment...yeah…"

"Groose!" one of his friends hisses, trying to get him to turn around and notice me. "Groose, behind you!"

"Not now! Can't you see I'm in the middle of-"

"Of what?" My voice is icy, and as Groose turns to look at me in shock I glower at him. Leaning back with my hands on my hips, I repeat, "What special moment, Groose? What's that all about?"

Flustered, the bully turns bright red and begins stuttering. With an eye roll, I grab Link and pull him to the side. Reaching up to be closer, I stand on my toes to whisper, "I just came back over to wish you luck. Put Groose in his place for me."

Link winks at me, sending a shockwave through me.

"Thanks. I'll see you after the ceremony, your grace," he teases. When I make a face at him, he laughs quietly. For a second he hesitates, then before I can stop him he leans forward to kiss my cheek.

As I turn pink, he grins at me before turning on his heel and running back towards everyone else. Slowly, I reach up to touch my cheek before I hear my father approaching from behind.

"Zelda? Are they ready to start the race?"

"Yes," I reply, watching Link as he lines up next to the others. "They're ready."

* * *

The race is over in what seems like an instant; Link catches up to the golden bird effortlessly, grabbing the statue with no problems and leaving Groose to curse at the sky. As my friend makes a victory loop to the applause of the other students who have gathered to watch the ceremony, I can't help but grin widely.

On an impulse, I break away from my father's side to everyone's surprise. Dashing over the edge, I yell, "Link!"

He looks up in surprise to see me falling, but without questioning it he catches me and together we fly towards the Statue of the Goddess, the sweet scent of the air filling my lungs as we soar above the clouds together.

"Geez, don't just jump like that," he tells me, "What if I didn't catch you?"

"You would've caught me," I reassure him, before grabbing him excitedly. "Anyway, congratulations! That was the best flying I've seen you do yet-guess we better get on with this ceremony, huh?"

As we approach the top of the Goddess statue, the red Loftwing lands and Link steps off first before grabbing my waist and helping me down. When his Loftwing returns to the skies where my bird is waiting, Link kneels before me, offering me the statuette he retrieved during the race.

Slowly, I take the statuette back and turn to offer it to the Goddess. Going over the prayer in my head, I place the bird figurine in the small opening before me. As I pull out the harp, I strum a few strings tentatively before beginning my prayer.

" _Oh Youth,_

 _Guided by the Servant of the Goddess,_

 _Unite Earth and Sky and bring light to the land."_

" _Oh Youth,_

 _Show the two whirling sails the way to the Light Tower_

 _And before You a path shall open_

 _And a Heavenly Song you shall hear."_

My voice trembles on the last note, but with my song done I turn back to where Link is kneeling. As I offer him my hand and he gently slips his palm into mine, I clear my throat for the final prayer.

"Oh Goddess, guiding light and protector of our people, grant us your blessings and mercy as I act in your stead for this ceremony."

Meeting Link's eyes, I continue.

"Valiant Youth, in accordance with this tradition of our people I grant you the Goddess's blessing that it may guide and protect you."

Reaching back, I untie my sailcloth and present it shakily to Link, who looks at me with an expression I can't understand.

"The blessings of the Goddess flow down from the heavens aloft a sail, which I now present to you."

Link reaches out to touch the sailcloth, but as he receives it our hands touch; instantly I'm hit with a vision so strong it nearly knocks me off my feet. Voices echo in my head once more, and as I stare into Link's eyes I can see him experiencing the same feeling-his eye reflect mine, both of us unsure at this sensation.

 **" _I grant you my blessings, that you may guide and protect our people. Chosen One...Link."_**

 **" _My life is yours. I will protect you more than anyone, Hylia."_**

 **" _...Will you always protect me?"_**

 **" _Always. I will always rise to protect you, no matter when or where."_**

It's a sound from one of the Loftwings that brings us back; as if we've snapped out of a spell, we blink at each other before Link quickly takes the sailcloth. Straightening up and getting to his feet, Link holds the sailcloth in his trembling hands before he looks at me and smiles weakly.

"I'm glad it was me," he says simply. "I'm glad I got to recieve your sailcloth."

"I'm glad it was you too," I reply a little too quickly. "We should finish the ceremony."

"The ceremony. Right."

We stare at each other before I close my eyes and try to wipe away the weird moment that just happened. Stepping closer, I look at him bashfully before grinning.

"You do know how the ceremony ends, right?"

"...sort of?" Link gives me a look that tells me he definitely wasn't paying attention during that part.

With a wider smile, I step every closer until we're chest to chest, and staring up at his bewildered face I say, "Good. I'm glad you're so well informed!"

Grabbing him by the shoulders, I whirl him around and say, "You have to jump off the statue! Use my sailcloth to stick your landing in the middle of that circle down there. The braver you are, the longer you'll wait to use your sail…"

At my goading words, he turns to give me a look but I'm too quick for him-with a heavy shove I send him flying off the top of the statue.

When I meet him at the bottom, he doesn't look too pleased with me. Before he can complain, I hold a finger up to his lips.

"The weather is nice," I offer, biting my lip and hoping he'll get what I'm leading to. "Want to fly around with me for a bit?"

* * *

Pink grazes the sky, painting the clouds with dusky shades of purple and gold as the just begins to set. We've been flying for at least an hour in silence, both of us quietly reflecting on what a huge day we've had.

Between the frequent visions, voices, and the craziness of this afternoon it feel as if a whole year has gone by.

I glance over to see Link wearing the same expression he's had ever since we took off; his eyes gaze at something I can't see, far off in the distance with a look of confusion and concern on his face. I can't take the silence any longer- leaning forward on my Loftwing I yell, "Link! Link!"

When I catch his attention, I smile and urge my Loftwing closer to his. As we soar side by side, I tell my friend, "The ceremony, the song...today was really wonderful. I won't forget it any time soon."

"Me either," he replies, before hesitating again. "Hey, Zelda?"

"Yeah?"

"I have something to tell you. Well, I have a lot of things to tell you, but I think I should say this first."

"I know. I've been waiting like I said I would."

At that he smiles.

"Zelda," Link begins, his eyes fixed on my face. "I-"

It happens in a second; a bright flash blinds the two of us and a sudden wind knocks us both back. Grasping my Loftwing tightly, I manage to open my eyes only to be faced with a strange and terrifying sight.

At my side, Link yells, "What is that?!"

It's a huge whirlwind, and it looms menacingly towards us with a roar that shakes my bones. Quickly Link and I begin to fall back, trying to avoid the monstrosity as it lurches at us. There's a flash of scarlett as Link manages to free himself and head upwards, but to my distress my Loftwing feels weaker and weaker.

We're being sucked in towards the Cloud Barrier, and as we are drawn in closer to the whirling mass of destruction I finally scream in utter terror.

"LINK!"

I'm wrenched from my bird, and as I fall from the sky I scream even louder despite knowing it won't save me. From above I see Link's eyes widen, before he dives after me with a shout.

"Zelda! ZELDA!"

There's an indescribable fear in his expression, and as he struggles to save me I can feel his desperation to reach me. He stretches, nearly falling off his bird when a gust of wind knocks him off completely; the crimson Loftwing goes spinning off in another direction, and as I watch I see the limp body of my friend falling in tandem with mine.

"Link! LINK!" I scream, as I'm pulled down to the unknown.

I burst through the Cloud Barrier roughly, and squinting I turn to look down. I'm rushing headlong towards a green surface that I can't quite make out, but the faster I fall the more fear rushes through me.

Just when I think I won't make it, a small figure appears below me.

The last thing I see is a warm blue light before darkness envelopes my vision completely.

* * *

 **Long chapter...and there's still one more! This was one I can't do alone; I have to pair it with Link's. Just a quick note to clear any confusion; I am following the story of the game for the most part but like I said before, I'm adding my own twists and interpretation to it. Normally I wouldn't emphasize this so much but I feel like that might be what's turning people away from this story XD And yes, some of this stuff is not necessarily canon but is taken from what I've seen in the Skyward Sword manga from Hyrule Historia.**

 **Okay, next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

_~~Link~~_

 _She dances a few feet away from me, a dazzling smile on her face as she laughs, "Isn't this great, Link? Isn't it wonderful here?"_

" _Yeah, it is," I agree, looking around. "Where is here, exactly?"_

" _Where else would it be?" she laughs, but this time the laugh sounds different, and when I turn to look I suddenly realizing I'm falling._

 _From the darkness a shining blue figure emerges, their arms extended as what appears to be a cape hangs there like a pair of wings._

" _Hero, I am waiting for you. Take me up once more that you may fulfill your destiny."_

 _ **My destiny? What destiny?**_

 _I see Zelda again, but this time we're both falling to through the blackness. I reach for her, struggling to just grasp her fingers when the monster from my dreams emerges beneath her._

" _No!" I struggle even more. "No, Zelda! Zelda, hold your hand out to me!"_

" _Link!" she calls, her eyes filled with terror. Her hair, so bright in the surrounding darkness, falls about her as she reaches for my fingertips. Her lips move, saying something that I can't understand when the monster opens its jaws wide._

 _Rows of gleaming white teeth flash as Zelda falls into its mouth, and I open my mouth to scream-but no sound comes out._

 _Instead of my voice, it's the voice I heard when I touched Zelda's hand at the ceremony._

" _ **No! Not her! Anything but her!"**_

 _The agony in the voice is so striking that my own heart clenches painfully, before it continues begging._

" _ **Give her back to me! GIVE HER BACK!"**_

 _I gasp, and my own voice joins in with the strangers as I watch Zelda disappear into the inky black darkness._

" _Please," I beg. "Please give her back to me!"_

My eyes fly open and I sit up quickly, one arm still outstretched towards Zelda. I'm disoriented until I realize that I'm in my room at the academy, and when I look up I see Gaepora staring down at me with a relieved look on his face.

"Link, lie back down," the headmaster orders me. "You were brought back here a few hours ago by your Loftwing; when we saw you limp and unconscious, I feared the worst."

"But Zelda-"

"Lie down," Gaepora says more forcefully. "Lie down, take a deep breath, and then tell me what happened."

Slowly I sink back down onto my bed, and carefully I begin to talk.

"We went flying together after the ceremony. Everything was fine...it was all perfectly fine until there was a flash of light and this giant black tornado appeared out of nowhere. We tried to get away but her Loftwing wasn't strong enough and she got pulled down. I tried…"

At this point the words get caught in my throat, and as I choke on them I see Gaepora's expression briefly soften.

"Enough, Link. I understand," he says, gently placing a firm hand on my shoulder. "You did what you could, I'm sure. I appreciate it."

The headmaster pauses, collecting himself before taking a long, deep breath.

"Rest now. It's far too dark for us to try searching for her, and as long as Zelda is with her Loftwing she'll be fine. One small girl and one bird will be hard for us to find right now."

"But sir, I-"

As I struggle to stand up, Gaepora all but pushes me back down. When I open my mouth to argue, he gives me a look so stern that I find myself silenced as the headmaster leaves my room.

For a minute I entertain the idea of leaving to search anyway, but when I look out at the darkness I know it'll be pointless if I end up lost in the dark sky.

With one last sigh, I close my eyes and will myself to fall asleep once more.

* * *

" _Hero….Awaken!"_

Instantly I'm up, wary of whoever it is that's in my room.

"Who-"

The words die on my lips as I see a the blue girl from my dreams; she reminds me of a sprite or a pixie, and while I'm still confused I feel compelled to follow her when I see her disappear through the door.

Through the door…

Up the stairs towards the Statue of the Goddess…

Around the back, under a ledge…

I follow her without knowing why, without a reason until we finally reach the front of the statue. Finally she stops flying, and as she turns to look at me she fades just as a small section of the statue opens.

Despite having followed her all the way here, I suddenly feel a sense of doubt. Just as I start to feel as if I should head back and pretend this weird hallucination never happened her voice echos once more.

" _Come forth, Hero. Claim me, and save her once more."_

Doubts erased, I strengthen my resolve and take a step towards the unknown.

* * *

As I enter the Goddess Statue, I feel a calming presence sweep over me. At a pedestal just a few feet away is a glowing sword, and as I slowly approach it I realize that this weapon is familiar to me in a way I can't explain.

The sword flashes, before transforming into the girl I saw before.

"You have come," the girl says, her immobile face watching mine. "I have been waiting."

I stare at her as she glides slightly closer and continues to speak in a robotic-like voice.

"You are the Chosen One. Your destiny is upon you, Hero, and the time has come for you to rise to your role. According to the social customs of your people, I shall introduce myself. The name given to me is Fi. I was created long before the written records of your people for a single purpose-it is my duty to aid you in the great burden you must carry."

Turning back to look at the pedestal where a ghostly image of the sword rests, Fi says, "Come, Link. You must take up your sword once more."

When Fi turns back to look at me, I must have a confused look on my face; she begins to explain again at my hesitation.

"The strange dreams troubling you. The voices in your head. My sudden appearance. Uncertainty surrounding the one you hold dearest. You have no reason to listen or believe me, but I shall tell you what you wish to know. It is my belief this knowledge will increase your willingness to take up our shared destiny."

I step back just as Fi says, "The one you call Zelda lives."

Instantly I'm hooked-my eyes widen, and as I gape at Fi she informs me, "This spirit maiden...she lives. She is also to play a part in this destiny of yours. If you wish to meet her once more, you must take up this sword. Will you go to her?"

My feet carry me forward without a second thought, and as I approach the pedestal Fi observes, "I see you need no further persuasion. Draw the sword, accept your fate, and raise it skyward."

Wrapping my hands around the cold handle of the sword, I pull hard; the weapon slides out easily, and as I grip the sword in my hand I realize that it's weighted perfectly.

It's like I've held it before, and as I tighten my grip and raise the blade to the sky I feel a familiar sensation.

A bright light envelopes the sword, and as it glows brighter than before Fi swoops down to my side.

"Recognition complete. Link...Master Link."

"Link!"

At the sound of the headmaster's voice I turn swiftly to see him staring at me with wide eyes. With shaky steps, Gaepora walks forward to lean on a nearby pillar as he watches me with wonder.

"I didn't think….I felt as if something was off but…"

While he struggles for words, he runs a hand over his head.

"Headmaster," I finally say, stepping towards him. "Why are you here?"

"This is the Chamber of the Sword, a place left to us by the Goddess herself," the headmaster tells me, straightening up slowly. "The very existence of this room is a secret, as is the legend passed down with it."

Legend?

" **When the light of the Goddess's sword shines bright, the Great Apocalypse will wake from its slumber. Fear not, for it is then a youth guided by my hand shall appear in this place most sacred."**

At the end of his sentence, Gaepora walks closer to me as he reflects, "I never thought this legend was true. I never…"

"I see the oral traditions continue pointlessly," Fi murmurs, landing behind me. "There are critical parts missing from that prophecy."

In a clear voice, she intones, " **He who draws the guiding sword is one with an unbreakable spirit, chosen by the Goddess herself. He shall banish the shadow of the apocalypse once more as this is the destiny he is bound to. He shall dive beneath the clouds, and unite once more with the spirit maiden to purify this land, bringing forth light to this darkened world."**

Zelda's talk of another world below us comes to mind at those words. What was it she said again?

Something...someone...out there waiting to be saved?

Ignoring my bewilderment, Fi keeps talking. As she raises her arms, a glowing light emits from them until a tablet appears. It's beautiful and ornate, and as it floats straight into my hands Fi informs me, "Take this that it may give you a guiding light to the world below. Raise your sword skyward once more and use the blade's power to activate the altar behind me."

I'm still grasping at everything that's happened in the last few minutes; it feels like some sort of absurd dream. Zelda's disappearance, this strange blue girl, the tablet, the secret room...all of it is far too strange to be real.

How did this happen? Why did this happen?

I don't understand.

I don't WANT to understand.

All I want at this point is to be with Zelda again, and to hold her and know she's safe.

It's like Fi can sense my resolve; hovering to the side as I walk towards the altar, she appears to be approving of my decision to listen to everything she's just told me. While Gaepora looks on from behind me, I insert the tablet into the altar and raise my sword as I was told.

"Help me find her," I pray to the Goddess, before swiping down with all of my strength.

* * *

I'm back in my room packing when Gaepora knocks on the door. As he enters, he lays a green suit on my bed, and when I look at him questioningly he smiles sadly.

"Your suit, which was to signify your promotion to the upper class. It's sturdy and built for a knight so it should help you on your quest. Are you leaving right away?"

"Yes," I reply, grabbing a few of the rations I snagged from the kitchen and stuffing them into my bag. "Now that I know she's out there and that she's been dragged into whatever this fate is with me, I have to go. I need to make sure she's safe."

Gaepora smiles again, before he says in a melancholy voice, "Your journey will not be easy, Link. Most of the knowledge of the Surface has been lost for a long time now, but I know it is dangerous down there. I will research all I can here, so return when you can to ask me anything. Please, keep safe."

He falls silent for a moment before whispering, "And please...please find my daughter. Please keep her safe as well."

Meeting his eyes, we stare at each other in understanding before I reply, "Of course, sir. I swear it."

Nodding his thanks, Gaepora smiles weakly once more before leaving me with a firm pat on the back. As I hold up the uniform and examine it, I close my eyes and think of Zelda.

This is crazy.

This destiny, all this talk of fate and a great burden…

It's crazy.

But if it leads me to Zelda it will all be worth it.

"I'm coming, Zelda," I whisper to the blade that lies on my bed. "Just hold on for me. I'm coming."

* * *

 **Alright! Two chapter update :)**

 **So for anyone really confused, here's basically what it is; Link and Zelda have to remember who they are (mufasa echo in the distance 'remember who you are, Simba')**

 **But seriously XD They are literally reincarnations of people who existed forever ago. And honestly, I always felt like Link should have memories of the past too given that Skyward Sword seemed to emphasize his relationship with Zelda so much. There will be some weird time-travelly back and forth stuff happening frequently from this point on but hopefully I've made it clear when they're in the present and when they're 'remembering'.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews, and I hope to see you on the next update! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

_~~Zelda~~_

It smells like the earth.

As I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with its rich scent, I stretch and open my eyes only to discover I'm lying on a large pile of soft grass. It tickles my face as I roll over and observe it-somehow it's not the same grass I'm used to seeing.

The long blades of green extend upwards towards an old church ceiling with holes in it, light streaming through the patches. I'm in a secluded area, and as I look around I see the grass surrounding me before glancing up to see that I'm in a beautiful temple. Something about this place feels familiar, but quickly I shake off the feeling as I get to my feet and try for a better sense of where I am.

I'm taking in the designs on the wall and floor when I notice a small hunched figure sitting on a raised section near the back of the temple. The figure doesn't appear to be moving, but all the same I can tell they're awake.

Just when I wonder if I should make a dash for the door on my right, a warm voice calls to me, "Spirit Maiden, come forth. You are safe here."

I know I have no reason to believe this person's words; still, the tone is one that I innately trust. Standing up I walk over slowly, taking in the strange Loftwing statue I pass and the designs of the temple as I reach the person who called to me.

It's an elderly woman.

She wears a strange pointy hat, and her hair appears to have been braided into some sort of pendulum that now sways back and forth like a clock marking the time. Her skin is a warm color, complemented beautifully by the blue of her outfit. While I stare, she chuckles in a grandmotherly way.

"Come closer, child. I won't hurt you."

Her hand extends to me, and when I take it cautiously she pulls me to sit down in front of her. Smoothing my dress out, I take a deep breath to steady myself before I ask, "Who...where am I?"

"I know your questions and want to answer them all. However, we have limited time so I shall only tell you what you absolutely must know now. Listen carefully."

I nod.

She smiles encouragingly, then continues.

"You are on The Surface. This is the land that your home Skyloft was once a part of, the land that the Goddess fought hard to protect. You were pulled down here by a malevolent force, but fortunately I was able to save you. You, my dear, are the Spirit Maiden. You are destined to fulfill your role that the Goddess left for you and save this world from destruction alongside your Hero."

"My Hero?" I can't help but interrupt her at that statement. "Spirit Maiden? I'm just the daughter of an instructor, what do you mean?"

"You must purify yourself in the waters of the Sacred Springs," the woman continues, completely unfazed by my questions. "Travel deep into Faron Woods to the temple there and perform the ritual. You will know how to do so when you arrive, and then you must travel to the land of Eldin to the second spring there and perform the next half."

"Wait, this all too much. I don't understand."

When I give her a confused look, she hesitates, before saying, "There is a prophecy. Perhaps hearing it will help you begin your journey."

The old woman coughs, and looks up as if remembering something.

" _ **When the darkness creeps once more over this land, a Spirit Maiden shall rise to save it from its ultimate Demise. Together with the Youth who holds the Goddess Sword, she shall purify this land and bring forth light once more."**_

I'm just about to question her again when everything starts to get fuzzy and I fall to the ground holding my head. Through the aching feeling, I start to hear voices again.

* * *

" _He still lives...I cannot defeat him with my power alone. He has been sealed here but for how long? How long will it be before he breaks free and we have to reseal him once more?"_

 _It's the womanly voice from before; the soft lilting sounds sorrowful and in pain, and the closer I listen I realize she's breathing very heavily. Pain shoots through my limbs before I feel a gaping wound in my left side._

" _Enough, Hylia." The man! The one from before! It's his voice! "You're wounded! We need to heal your first and then you can-"_

" _Link, there's no time. I must save my people...I must save you!"_

 _The man laughs bitterly, the hollow sound echoing in my head._

" _There's not much time left for me either, I'm afraid. Hylia...we may not make it out of this one."_

 _She hesitates, before coughing, "...there may no longer be a way for us to save each other here, but there is a way for us to be together again. There is a way we can still save them, together."_

 _Now the man sounds closer to her, and I feel the vague sensation of holding someone in my arms. As I feel his presence, I suddenly realize he's dying._

" _Tell me what it is, Hylia," he whispers. "Tell me."_

" _We must be reborn in another time. The fight with him was too much for us now, but if we are reborn we will both be able to strengthen ourselves and defeat him once and for all with the power of the Triforce."_

" _Reborn, huh? I guess...I wouldn't mind that. As long as I could see you again." He sounds happy, even as he inhales with a sharp breath of pain._

 _She laughs, and I feel my wound expanding as she does so._

" _I'll find you again, my hero."_

 _I feel the man reach up, and he touches my cheek gently before murmuring, "No, Hylia. I'll find you."_

* * *

I blink.

Then I stagger to the side and find myself violently sick.

As I hack and cough, the old woman says, "Zelda, was it? You must make haste to Skyview Temple."

"What was that?" I wipe at my mouth, straightening up. "What...what are these visions of the Goddess Hylia and this man?"

"Go to the Temple and you will understand," the old woman tells me simply, before nodding at me. As a blue light emits from her, I close my eyes briefly before feeling the light envelope me. When I open my eyes once more, I'm wearing all white.

"Go to the spring and pray. Find your destiny there."

* * *

"She's crazy," I grumble murderously under my breath as I struggle through the undergrowth. After giving me the white dress, the old woman only waved me out the door.

I had so many questions for her, but when she lapsed into silence I somehow knew I was never going get the answers I needed.

I'm so busy contemplating everything that when I stumble over a large mushroom I nearly rip my new dress. With a frown, I glance down at it before realizing it's probably better to just keep going.

By the sound of things, whatever's waiting for me at the spring will have more answers as to why I'm on the Surface.

I'm not stupid; I understand that I've some part of a fate that can't be averted, and that I was brought down here by that strange tornado to fulfill that destiny. Granted, I'm still not sure exactly WHAT that destiny is, but all the same I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the ancient lore of our people.

That, and now that I understand the visions I've been getting are of Hylia and her hero, I have the distinct feeling that all is not as it should be down here. What could possibly be going on to cause this? What is the catalyst I'm trying to avoid in order to keep things the same?

My feelings, the voices, the calling-all of it is beginning to make sense.

Was this land calling to me? Was I selected by Hylia for some kind of great destiny?

For a moment I think of Link; he'd laugh if I told him I was Hylia's chosen Spirit Maiden. Actually, what would make him laugh even more is if I told him that I think he's the hero who'll come down to save us. I can't imagine anyone else up in Skyloft willing to jump down and come after me other than him, and just the thought of it makes me giggle before I turn back to glance at where I can still see the temple behind me.

That temple...It was built by the Goddess herself so that she could watch her people from above. I'm sure of it; the designs on the inside indicated as much. The Goddess Hylia...she seems much closer now than she did before.

It's a strange feeling; no matter how much we praise her, the Goddess has always just been a part of history to us. Talking about her is like talking about a child's bedtime story.

" _And they all lived happily ever after,"_ I mutter to myself, stopping for a moment to take in my surroundings again. "Couldn't she have given me a map?"

"Are you lost, koo?"

I scream at the sudden inquiry, turning in a flash to slap my attacker.

There's a muffled and terrified squeak before I look down to see a trembling...thing. It looks like some strange bird, and as it stares up at me it squeaks again in terror before throwing itself onto the ground to reveal a busy backside.

Placing a hand on my chest, I take a deep breath before softly saying, "I'm sorry. I was just startled."

Slowly the creature picks its head up, before springing up fully and replying in a cute voice, "Kwee! Don't scare me like that! I only wanted to know if you were lost!"

"Yes, I am," I say, trying to ignore the fact that I'm talking to a bird...bush. A bird-bush. "Would you happen to know where Skyview Temple is? I was told to go there."

"You are very strange, kee-koo. I have never seen one like you! The temple you say...kwoooooooooooooo…."

As the creature hums in deep thought, I suddenly notice a large group of red out of the corner of my eye. Turning my head, I find myself staring at horrible looking monsters; with their large dead eyes and gaping mouths, I shudder a bit before murmuring quietly to the creature in front of me.

"Hide," I mutter quietly. "Quick!"

The creature looks at me curiously before following my gaze and squeaking in dismay. As he backs into the underbrush he says, "Kwee! Run to the elder!"

"The elder?"

"Elder Bucha, keeee! Go to him! That way!"

When the creature extends a shaky finger, I nod and turn. As I run, I suddenly hear a loud screeching and when I glance over my shoulder I see that the group of monsters has spotted me. As I gasp for air, terrified and wondering if I'm even going the right way, there's a large noise a few feet ahead of me.

Rounding the corner, I see a huge version of the creature I met earlier. Before I have time to speak or even marel at its size, it rumbles, "Kee-koo! Hurry! This way!"

Together we run, and as we do so I glance up at the clouds above us.

Is Link up there now? I'm sure he's worried...with every right to be. I'm sure he's trying to get down here to find me, even as I'm here running from danger.

"Please...Link…" I huff out a small prayer as the elder flees with me to what appears to be even deeper woods.

"Please come soon!"

* * *

 **I really love writing Zelda's perspective. Because you play as Link throughout all the games, you have a solid foundation to base most of your story on for him but with Zelda there's a lot of creative liberty you can take.**

 **She's not stupid; she knows what's up for the most part. I mean, she's technically a goddess with great wisdom and power. Still, hallucinations and uncertainty can make a person question what's happening.**

 **Thanks as always for the reads and reviews, and as usual I hope to see you on the next update!**


	10. Chapter 10

_~~Link~~_

As I stand on the edge of Skyloft, I close my eyes and try to imagine how I'm going to get to the ground.

I picture Zelda waiting for me, the relieved look on her face when we meet once more. Suddenly, there's a musical noise beside me and when I open my eyes again I see Fi hovering by my side.

"Master, are you going to depart?"

Fi stares at me with her ever impassive eyes, and I sigh before falling over the edge without another thought. As my Loftwing catches me and we soar towards a bright green light in the distance, I glance back over my shoulder at the only home I can remember.

It's as if Fi can sense my uneasiness; from the sword strapped to my back, I hear, "Master, there is a ninety-eight percent chance you will see Skyloft again with Zelda."

Ninety-eight? I don't know whether it's good that it's so high or bad that it's not a hundred percent. While I contemplate that, my Loftwing screeches to draw my attention.

We've reached the light, and as I look down I see straight through the clouds. Down below there appears to be a mass of foliage and forest. It looks like it's a long way to what could be certain death.

Closing my eyes, I picture Zelda lying on the ground hurt. It makes me feel a bit sick, and quickly I hurl myself off my Loftwing. As I fall towards the ground I grit my teeth against the wind pressure and mutter encouragements to myself under my breath.

Surely this sailcloth will help me land...right?

Zelda's safe. Zelda's safe.

...She HAS to be safe.

As the ground rushes to meet me, I pull the sailcloth out and steel myself for a potentially rough landing.

"Hrrrrgnh!"

When the sailcloth first unfurls and catches the wind it jerks at my arms, but as I descend the pressure dwindles until my feet gently touch the ground.

I take in the air with great, rushing breaths when Fi materializes in front of me.

"It appears you have landed in an area known as the Sealed Grounds. This is the land your people call the Surface. Please proceed with caution."

When she disappears again, I resist the urge to vomit as once again try to absorb this new information. Holding my head high, I walk towards what looks to be a large ancient temple when I feel something sinister creeping from below.

Looking down, I'm surprised to see a what appears to be a large spiral into the ground. The path below swirls menacingly, and at the very bottom is a small pillar. Fi said this place was call the Sealed Grounds...so what's being sealed here?

I'm not given time to wonder when my head hurts and I stagger back to visions of my nightmare.

As the world turns black around me and the great creature from before rises up to meet me, I struggle to grab the sword from my back. Rows of gleaming teeth smirk at me like an old enemy, and as the illusion sweeps over me and disappears I shudder and look down once more at the pillar below.

I know what's down here now.

* * *

The doors to the temple swing open with a resounding boom, and as I peek in to see a mostly empty space with holes in the ceiling allowing light to stream through. As I walk in I feel like I'm walking into a place I've been to many times before, and the weight of it all threatens to crush me.

On a raised area near the end of the temple is an old woman; she too seems familiar, and when I approach she smiles shakily at me.

"Hello, child of fate. I see you too have descended from the skies, and that you have brought the Goddess Sword with you."

At her words I start, and lunging forward I ask, "Too? Has someone else been here? Have you seen a girl my age with long blonde hair?"

She holds up a hand to silence me, before replying, "I have sat here many years waiting to help you fulfill your destiny. You stand beneath the roof of the Sealed Temple, built by the Goddess in an age long gone by. Your arrival here was predestined many years ago."

At my confused face, she chuckles warmly and nods for me to sit with her. As I sit with her in silence, she closes her eyes and breathes deeply.

"Yes," she murmurs. "It has been many years since that day. The one you seek, the Spirit Maiden, descended here shortly before you in a shower of light. The gears of fate have begun to turn, but all is not right. She was not meant to reach the Surface this way. I feel the shadow of evil working behind this. He means to stop you two from the destiny you are to fulfill. He means to stop you from meeting again."

"He?" I ask, scooting closer. "And what do you know of Zelda?"

"The maiden you seek has left to find her fate, as should you," the woman chides me gently. "What is your name, child?"

"Link. It's Link."

Her eyes widen for a moment, before the smiles returns twofold and she murmurs, "Link...how odd."

Cryptically she stares at me before sighing, "I understand your concern for her, but you must focus on moving forward. She has her own purpose she must find, and it would suit you well to follow behind. Leave here for Faron Woods."

When she points towards the door, I know I'm dismissed, but as I stand up I find myself staggering again under the weight of a vision.

* * *

" _This temple...I remember this temple." It's the male voice from before. "Hylia, why are we here?"_

" _Are you not fond of visiting the old places with me?" a woman replies, her voice silky and ethereal. "We met here first, Link. Do you not like sentiment?"_

" _I do," the man grumbles. "It's just...that was long ago, before I knew who you even were. For a goddess, you're pretty deceitful."_

" _Deceitful?" Hylia, the woman, sounds amused. "Would you walk among your people if they knew who you were? I was lonely. I watched you...all of you. We had been created at the same time but I was left to watch from a distance while you all enjoyed this world."_

" _I know," the man's voice softens. "I know, Hylia."_

 _The woman hesitates, before she asks fearfully, "Perhaps...perhaps you regret meeting me? I could understand that. I approached you as if I was a mortal woman but…"_

 _I feel the sensation of a soft hand in mine, before the man replies, "Never! I've never regretted this!"_

 _Warmth envelopes me as the woman laughs happily, and I feel a sudden pressure of someone leaning on my chest._

" _Good," she murmurs happily, the warmth of her breath on my tunic. "Neither have I."_

* * *

When I come to, the old woman is staring at me impassively.

As I sit up, ready to question her, she motions towards the door. It's clear that she's going to be as cryptic as everyone else about what's happening to me, and with a sigh I stagger to my feet and thank her before setting off.

I pass by the Sealed Grounds and walk for a bit through the undergrowth until I reach a particularly leafy part of the forest.

Fi, voicing my thoughts, reappears and states, "This is Faron Woods, Master. Just ahead-"

"Wait a minute," I interrupt. "Do you hear something?"

Fi pauses, and together we listen; in the distance I can hear somebody whimpering, accompanied by some horrifying screeching.

I don't wait for Fi to tell me what to do-instantly I dash forward, and rounding the corner I see two red creatures with axes threatening a bush-like thing on the ground. When they see me they turn and rush at me, still screeching.

It's clear these things don't have a shred of intelligence; drawing my sword I easily disarm one and bash the other one's head in instantly. As they stagger, falling to the ground with dying sounds the bush pops up to look around.

It's a bird-like thing, with a long pointed nose and cute round eyes. Feeling a little sorry for it, I kneel down and open my mouth to say hello when it spots me and begins trembling twice as hard.

"Koo-weep! Now there's a green one? I didn't know they came in green!" it squeaks, taking a small step back. "Don't hurt me, koo!"

I watch as it waddles off as fast as it can to the top of the nearest hill before Fi tells me, "I picked up some rather interesting dowsing readings on the creature, Master."

"Tell me."

"Due to the characteristics and the readings I received, I conclude that we just encountered a Kiwki. They are a peaceful race that dwells here in the forest. They are capable of intelligent speech, but there is no way it could be mistaken for Zelda. Clearly the Kiwki has had some sort of interaction with her. I recommend following him as soon as possible."

Standing up, I brush off my pants and set up off the hill after the Kiwki. As I reach the top and look into the next part of the forest I see it hiding behind a rather large mushroom.

"Hide and seek, huh?" I stifle a little laugh at how strange this situation seems. Jumping down, I approach the mushroom and give it a light tap. This sends the Kiwki into another panic and it zooms off again, while I walk slowly behind.

After a few more minutes of chasing and cutting down a few carnivorous looking plants, I finally find it shaking behind a tree.

"Kwwwwweeee! It found me again!"

The creature throws into self face first into the dirt, and as it continues to shake I can't help the smile that comes across my face; it's all a little too cute to take this seriously, and feeling protective I kneel down once more and try to speak in my softest voice.

"Hey there," I say, encouraged when the Kwiki looks up at me with somewhat teary eyes. "I don't want to hurt you. My name's Link. Could you tell me your name?"

It blinks, before straightening up and asking curiously, "Kwoo...you don't want to eat me? Come to think of it...you did fight off those red monsters for me."

I smile again, trying to convince the Kwiki it's in safe hands. It must work, before the Kwiki finally pipes up, "Kee-paleep! I'm Machi. You seem okay, even if you're scary too. Thank you for saving me!"

Machi scratches his head, then squeaks, "That's weird. A little while ago I ran into another funny animal like you, but that one was a girl."

Inwardly, I curse my bad timing. She was here! Just a while ago!

Trying to keep control of my expression to keep the creature from being scared again, I ask quietly, "Zelda? Did she say her name was Zelda?"

"What's a Zelda? I don't know who this girl was but when I saw her she was in trouble. A pack of those red monsters was chasing her, kwee, but she escaped into the forest with the Kikwi elder."

At this news, Fi appears beside me, causing Machi to shake again as he tries to hide his face in the ground. Unperturbed by the clear distress she's brought to the Kikwi, Fi tells me, "We have obtained some information on Zelda. She was attacked but somehow managed to evade capture; however, I infer that she is still in significant danger."

Looking around, Fi brings out my map before marking it telepathically.

"This is your current position relative to Machi the Kikwi. Given the strength of the dowsing results I conclude that you should continue dowsing for Zelda. You will likely find the Kikwi Elder this way, and he will surely have more information on her whereabouts."

When Fi disappears again, Machi pops back to his feet and squeaks, "That startled me koo! You keep some strange company, friend."

"What? Oh, yeah."

My face must give away my feelings, because Machi laughs, "Cheer up, kee-palep! I'm sure your friend and the elder are safe! If you're heading that way, kwee, could you also tell the elder I'm safe? I'm sure he's worried about everyone with the state of the forest, kwoo."

I nod, standing back up as I do so.

"I will. And thanks, Machi."

"Goodbye, kwee-koo!" Machi waves me off cheerfully as I turn and head towards the deeper section of the forest. "Goodbye!"

* * *

The first thing I see is a large Kikwi, face down in the dirt on top of a raised area of the forest. Luckily there's a rope hanging from a nearby tree, and I cross the small gap with ease. As I approach the enormous Kikwi, it rises.

Machi was weird, but cute. Despite having the exact same eyes and face, this Kikwi towers above me so high that I find myself slightly intimidated when it begins to talk in a rumbling voice.

"Kweeeeeeeeeee-heee. I am Bucha, the Kikwi Elder. I saw the way you spotted me despite my master disguise. You are clearly a master woodsman, koo!"

I resist the urge to tell him he couldn't be more obvious if he tried.

Calmly, I reply, "It's nice to meet you, Bucha. My name is Link and I'm looking for a girl named Zelda. Do you know where she is?"

"Zelda…? Ah, the girl. She was clearly one of your kind, kweeee. She was with me until recently, but now is not the time for such talk...I am worried for my tribe. I can't seem to recall anything right now."

Part of me wants to shake him and tell him to remember, but when I see the genuine confusion on his face I feel bad. As he continues to look around with concern on his features, I think about Zelda and how she'd approach this situation.

It's clear what I have to do.

"What if I found them? I already ran into Machi. He's safe in the first part of the woods. If I find the rest of your tribe and report back, will you try to think about Zelda for me?"

"You would help me, kwooo?" The elder's eyes widen, before he chuckles. "Thank you! I will do my best to remember everything while you search! There are three missing members still, kweee."

"Got it." I roll my shoulder, gearing myself up for the inevitable fights that I know are bound to happen. "I'm sure there are still monsters lurking around here, so please don't move from this spot until I get back."

He waves me off cheerfully, and as I set off I catch a glimpse of him stroking his mustache in contemplation. This gesture makes me want to laugh, and as I descend to the forest below Fi's voice accompanies me from the sword.

"It is unfortunate that Zelda is no longer with the elder, but if we help him we may be able to gain more information. I have added the Kikwis to help you dowse for them."

"Right. Let's do this Fi."

* * *

An hour and three Kikwis later I find myself standing back in front of the elder. As the elder chuckles at my dirt covered cheeks and bruises, I sigh deeply.

Finding the Kikwis wasn't the hard part; it was fighting off the monsters, the constant climbing, and everything else in this forest. It's like everything in this world is conspiring to kill me and I've only just started my quest.

Granted, it didn't help that one of the Kikwis was so scared he needed help down from a tree.

Finally the elder stops laughing at me, and wiping a small tear from his eye he says, "Kweee! Thank you for finding my fellow Kikwis, Link!"

"No problem," I say, wiping the sweat and dirt from my forehead. "Did you remember anything about Zelda?"

"Yes!" Bucha waves his arms in a happy manner. "I managed to help her up here where it was safe and tried to tell her to stay but she told me she had a 'fate' to carry out."

"What?"

Bucha shakes his head. "She said she needed to travel to the deepest part of the woods to the temple there. I warned her how dangerous that would be, but the clever little thing bounced off my stomach and ran off, kwee!"

While I process this, Bucha falls forward with a massive slam, revealing the small bush on his back that resembles the ones that the other Kikwi have.

"Take this as my thanks!" he rumbles, his face still on the ground. "It is a treasured heirloom of the Kikwis and will surely aid you, kwoo!"

I can't quite see what it is, but when I climb up his back I see a slingshot and pouch lying in the middle of the small grass patch.

It's no bow and quiver, but it's still a pretty good prize given that I don't have anything I can throw in the distance other than a Skyward strike. As I admire my prize, I hop off Bucha's back.

He rises once more, then winks at me.

"Now go find your girl! I'll be rooting for you, kweh heh heh!"

I turn a little red at his statement, before dashing off.

"Thanks, Bucha!" I call over my shoulder, heading for the temple. As I face forward, I steel myself for what's to come ahead.

Whatever this fate is, I hope it's one that brings Zelda back to me.

* * *

 **Hey guys, just a quick note today; I probably won't update the next chapter until next week because I'm in the middle of another big transition! I have the chapter almost ready but won't have a chance to get to it until I take care of my other stuff XD I hope you've enjoyed the last few updates and I hope you look forward to the next one and beyond!**

 **As always, thanks for the reads and reviews!**


	11. Chapter 11

_~~Zelda~~_

The Surface is a lot scarier than I thought it would be.

Skyview Temple was hard enough to get to without catching the attention of the monsters swarming the place, but now that I'm actually inside its somehow even scarier. The darkness of this place is foreboding, and I repress shudders as I walk past bioluminescent mushrooms.

There are tons of bats in this place like the one I saw in the Waterfall Cave with Link, and while most of them are asleep I still feel uneasy. The only thing I have to defend myself with right now is a hefty branch I picked up earlier and the harp, which is still tucked into my belt.

Peeking around the corner of the stairs I see a larger area with more monsters, and closing my eyes I rack my brain for ideas of how to pass by.

How would Link get around this?

I shake my head; he wouldn't ever go around, he would just go straight through. As much as I'd like to do the same, I have no sword and I don't have half the strength Link does. It seems like I have no choice but to keep thinking around the problem.

With a sigh, I sink to my feet.

I'm tired.

I've been wandering around the woods, avoiding monsters and Goddess knows what, and now I'm stuck in this gloomy temple wondering how to stay alive all while searching for a purpose I'm unsure of.

When I open my eyes I see a small crack in a nearby wall, and crawling forward I notice that it appears to be deeper than I first suspected. As I shimmy in, I feel reasonably safe. At least, safe enough to take a quick breather.

Closing my eyes, I rest my head against the cold stone of the temple.

" _Napping on the job?"_ I can almost hear Link's voice. " _Don't tell me I've influenced you to that point?"_

"Shut up, Link," I mumble to myself. "I'm tired. I've been through a lot today and I'm not even finished yet."

" _Well just take a break then. I'll keep lookout for you."_

"You're not even here!" I sigh, before rubbing my forehead.

Now I'm REALLY going delusional.

If this is really some plot all set into motion by Hylia, why isn't she helping me? Why is she just leaving me to figure this out on my own?

As if she can hear my thoughts, I suddenly feel my head pounding; it's the tell-tale feeling of a vision coming on, and I grit my teeth, hoping to ride out whatever new is in store for me now.

* * *

 _I'm standing in the middle of Faron Woods under a large tree. No, that's not right._

 _It's not really ME who's standing-it's as if I'm a passenger in someone else's body, just along for the ride for whatever's in store whether it be this person's emotions or actions._

 _As I take a deep breath and smell the earth, I hear a chuckle behind me and turn my head slightly to see a man._

 _This is clearly the man from the previous visions; I feel a sense of ease with him. His hair is a light blond, and his eyes are the same blue as Link's._

 _Wait...wasn't this man's name also Link?_

 _He watches me with curious eyes before asking, "So you're a traveler? What made you decide to come here?"_

 _The voice that comes from my throat is not my own, but again it's Hylia's._

" _Oh...no particular reason. I had always heard the Land of Hylia was beautiful and filled with wonderful people. I was named after this land after all. I thought I should see it at least once."_

 _Hylia says this last part hurriedly, like she's trying to hide something._

 _Link doesn't seem to notice she's lying-he just laughs, this time sounding a little colder than before._

" _Who told you that we have such wonderful people here?" he asks bitterly, and I frown at his tone. "This land is far more corrupt than you would think, given that we're supposedly watched by a Goddess."_

 _This news surprises me; with a confused blink I turn to face him completely before asking, "You don't believe in the Goddess?"_

" _Oh, I believe in her," Link reassures me. "I just don't know if she really is doing much to watch out for the good of humanity. There's some wealthy people out here who don't take kindly to anyone more powerful than them."_

" _But you're a knight, correct? Don't they WANT their knights to be more powerful?"_

 _He looks at me strangely. "Would you want to be overthrown by someone who was supposed to be 'under your thumb'?"_

 _I feel shame wash over me, and then Hylia says, "Don't blame the Goddess for that! She's not the one who made humans!"_

" _Oh? What is her job then?"_

" _Well...the other gods made everything...I think Hylia was a Goddess who was created by the others to watch over the people and whatever else the gods left behind."_

 _He smiles at the indignant look on my face and sends a fluttery feeling through my stomach._

" _Do you want to stay here in the forest for a few more minutes or head back to the town?" Link asks, diverting the conversation easily._

" _Stay here," I reply, flopping down next to him. I hesitate, then scoot just a little closer to him. "What about you?"_

 _He looks over at me warmly before lying back against the tree and closing his eyes, resting his hands on his stomach. That look is all the permission I need; edging just close enough to touch him, I lean against the tree with him. My arm brushes against his and I shiver with an excitement I can't explain before I close my eyes and soak in the cool of the afternoon._

* * *

I open my eyes quickly, my heart still pounding furiously at the proximity of the Link from my vision. He was so different from my childhood friend; still, I felt like I was just spending time with a very old friend.

Trying to shake off the weird feeling this is giving me, I sigh and crawl back out of my hiding spot to see the status of the monsters in the bigger room. Much to my surprise, they've disappeared.

It must be that they're finally patrolling a different area of the temple. I don't stop for too long-something's bound to come back soon. Moving quickly I dash through the temple until I reach a large golden door. It appears to have some sort of intricate keyhole and for a minute I worry about how I'll get in when I feel the harp in my belt calling to me.

Hesitantly, I pull it out only to find that it's glowing.

I know what to do.

Raising the harp to play, I softly begin to strum. As my fingers pass over the strings, a familiar tune rises into the air and I hum along lightly. The same blue light that the old woman used emits from my feet, and when I glance down I see a ring of light has materialized at my feet. It sways in time to my music, before gathering into one ray of light that pushes open the doors for me.

Putting the harp up, I walk into a small empty room. At the other end there's a smaller door, and as I approach it I hear the large doors I entered through close behind me.

I ignore the ominous sound, approaching the next door only to see a familiar pattern greet me. It's the same crest I embroidered on my sailcloth, only in the middle there's a curious pattern of three small triangles.

"I wonder what those are," I say aloud, before raising a hand to the door.

The crest glows and I touch it gently. I'm not surprised that this door opens, but when I walk through to a beautiful spring I find myself in a wonderful place.

Large pillars line a stone walkway as small waterfalls pour on either side of me into the water that leads to the spring. As I approach the stairs carefully and climb them, I find myself looking at a beautiful fountain.

Is this what the old woman meant by a spring?

I try to recall exactly what she said to me. Although she told me I'd know what to do when I got here, nothing is coming to mind. Still racking my brain for ideas, I step forward towards where the last platform waits.

As I hop across the stones and reach the small statue of the Goddess, I stop to stare up at her.

The Hylia that I'm beginning to know from my visions sounds far friendlier than her statue depicts her. She came down from the clouds eons ago to save her people...but was that the only reason she approached them?

And the hero she chose...that man...did she approach him to test his worthiness, or was there something else there?

I feel something tugging me closer to the altar before me, and on instinct I step closer before pulling out the harp.

A circle of light appears at my feet like before, and the melody and song seem to come to my mind like a memory I've just gotten back.

" _Guided by the hand of fate,_

 _Spirit Maiden rise,_

 _Take back your voice once more and bring light back to this land."_

" _You who sing this song,_

 _Be ever mindful of the path you take_

 _My strength is yours_

 _Awaken to your destiny."_

As the last words of my prayer leave my lips, I feel another vision coming on. Rather than feeling afraid I feel safe, and closing my eyes I await the memory that is sure to occur.

* * *

 _I'm in front of the altar, although when I look at the statue of the Goddess I feel a strange sense of disgust. There's a pain in my left side that immediately reminds me of the vision I witnessed in the Sealed Temple._

 _The Link I've come to see in these visions is nowhere to be found, but instead there is a handsome young woman at my side. Tall and lanky, her short blond hair seems to glow in the darkness that surrounds us, and as I look skyward I feel a hot tear slip down my cheek._

" _Your Grace? Have your wounds opened up again? Are you in pain?" the woman asks anxiously, stepping closer._

" _I will be in pain until I pass on," Hylia answers easily. "My people still live under the threat that Demise could come back at any moment, and Link has already passed on without me. I want to join him but I must attend to this task first. This is our only hope of seeing each other again."_

 _I raise my hands to the sky._

 _Hylia's voice leaves my body, speaking a language so ancient and powerful I feel tremors running down my spine._

 _The spring and woman with us begin to grow hazy, then fade out entirely._

 _Suddenly I seem to be cleaved from the body of Hylia, and when I look up I finally see her._

 _It's Hylia._

 _Her hair is longer than mine, reaching far down her backside with the same golden color of my own. Her eyes reflect mine, but there's a knowledge in there I don't quite have yet. When she smiles at me, I feel shaky._

" _ **Welcome, Spirit have made it to Skyview Spring and prayed."**_

 _I fall to my knees before the Goddess when I feel a hand on my chin. Raising my head, Hylia shakes her head and smiles at me._

" _ **Spirit Maiden, why do you bow? You would not bow to yourself, would you?"**_

" _Myself?" I feign ignorance, wanting to push off what I've suspected since I entered the temple. "Hylia...I mean, Your Grace-"_

" _ **I am you,"**_ _Hylia says simply._ " _ **You are me, and I am you. Surely this is not news to you by now."**_

 _When I say nothing, Hylia smiles again._

" _ **Our new name. What is it?"**_

" _...it's Zelda. My-our name. It's Zelda."_

" _ **Zelda."**_ _Hylia closes her eyes, a pleased look on her face._

" _Um...how exactly…"_

" _ **This is an ancient magic, the power of a goddess. Although I came to the Surface, I am still a currently a goddess and possess powers enough to create this purification chamber of my own essence. I understand this may be confusing."**_

" _No, it's just...there's much to take in." I reply. "I understand. I understand now. You no longer exist as Hylia, you exist as me. This is merely an imprint...a vision you left behind to remind yourself. To remind me."_

" _ **I'm glad to see my vast wisdom has been retained even as a mortal. Zelda. You must remember who you truly are. Merely having this knowledge that you are the goddess reborn is not enough. I will not speak to you again, but I have left the rest of our memories at the other spring. Travel to the Earth Temple and complete your memory."**_

" _I wish…"_

" _ **I know,"**_ _Hylia replies._ " _ **I wish I had more time to explain as well, but I do not. My power is fading and I must use the rest of it to seal our memories in the Earth Temple. I only appeared before you this way to force you to acknowledge who you are. This is not a destiny many would take on willingly. Return now to your time, to your vision."**_

 _I blink; she's gone again, and I'm back in her body._

 _No._

 _I'm back in MY body._

" _Your Grace?" the woman at my side asks. Turning, I raise my chin and say, "The first message has been left. We must make haste to leave the second message."_

 _As the two of us walk towards the door, I look up. The once blue sky that I shared with Link is now covered by a mass of clouds._

 _We'll see that blue sky again together._

 _I promise, Link._

 _I won't fail you, and I refuse to let us stay torn apart._

* * *

 **Okay apologies first; getting internet again took WAY longer than I expected it to. That being said, at least here's another chapter? Hopefully it's just as enjoyable as the last one was!**

 **Hylia is a goddess so I feel like anything is really within the realms of possibility for her. I mean, Hylia and Zelda are the same spirit but both of them are different people which I think makes for a very interesting dynamic. Zelda is her own person but at the same time the world is demanding she remember a past life and relive it in some senses. I think that alone would be hard for any person to acknowledge, especially knowing that the past you're remembering is filled with all sort of terrible things.**

 **Once again I'm sorry for taking so long with the update and I hope to see you all on the next one! Thank you!**


	12. Chapter 12

_~~Link~~_

Whoever made this temple was really into traps; as I climb another platform and hit yet another switch, I can't help but wonder how Zelda could have bypassed all of this without any help.

She's smart, but there's no way she was able to defeat the amount of monsters I've had to in just the last few minutes.

Fi seems to smell my worry; from my back she pipes up, "Master, I have detected traces of Zelda throughout the temple so far. It appears to be getting stronger the further in we go, and there is a ninety-nine percent chance she is well and has made it to the spring."

"Why is it never one hundred percent?" I mutter, drawing my sword again as a bunch of bokoblins rush at me. "Why is it always ninety-nine?"

"Until I verify it for myself I cannot possibly say anything with one hundred percent accuracy."

I snicker a bit at that, before replying, "It would still be much more comforting to not hear any percentages, at least where Zelda's involved."

Fi pauses, then says, "Acknowledged. I will no longer calculate predictions related to Zelda unless you ask for them, Master."

"Thanks, Fi," I grunt, pausing to check the map I found earlier. "I appreciate it."

"Of course. Would you like to hear your progress towards the center of the temple?"

"Yeah."

"You are eighty-percent of the way through. I suggest taking a short five to ten minute break."

At her words I walk over to the nearest wall and slide down it with a sigh of relief. It feels like I've been going non-stop since I got down here, and the feeling of sitting down is a sweet sensation. As much as I'd like to catch up to Zelda, I'm too tired to go without taking a few seconds to at least breathe.

Fi appears next to me. She examines me for a moment before saying, "Master, if you wish to close your eyes for a moment I shall keep lookout. I will alert you if anything comes into the area."

Gladly I take her invitation, and as I close my eyes I slip into a fuzzy daydream.

* * *

 _The first thing I see is a woman; her hair is a light blonde, not quite as heavy a golden as Zelda's but similar all the same. She's standing just in front of me, near the parapet of the tower we're on top of and when a gust of wind appears to make her shaky I rush forward._

" _Hylia, be careful," I warn, my voice sounding much more different than it should. "If you fall off-"_

" _I won't fall off," Hylia laughs, before turning her head to wink at me. Her eyes twinkle with mischief, and when she smiles I can't help but smile back despite feeling a bit overprotective of her._

" _FIne but don't expect me to catch you then."_

" _I'll still expect it," she tells me, grinning widely as she steps down and turns to face me. "Didn't you tell me you're a knight here? Aren't knights supposed to rescue damsels in distress?"_

 _I poke her forehead, causing her to giggle as I mutter, "Well don't turn yourself into one without good reason."_

 _She shakes her head, before grabbing my hand and saying, "Come on then, let's go somewhere else you big worrywart."_

 _As she pulls me along the top of the ramp, I say, "The way you talk has changed since you started hanging out with me. It's only been a month or so and you seem very different from how you were when we first met."_

" _Oh yeah?"_

" _You used to sound really proper," I tease her as she looks over her shoulder at me. "Don't tell me I've corrupted you?"_

 _At that she laughs again._

" _You couldn't corrupt me. You're far nicer than you pretend you are, Link."_

 _I want to tell her she's wrong._

 _I want to tell her I'm not the perfect person she thinks I am._

 _I'm the harbinger of destruction._

 _I'm the one they call first for war, the first and last on the battlefield._

 _I'm willing to fight and kill if I'm asked, even if that means staining my hands for others sake._

 _I'm nothing like this pure-hearted girl but I'm drawn to her all the same._

 _I feel as if could do anything, if it was for her._

" _You're looking at me strangely," she says, snapping me out of my daze. "What is it?"_

" _Nothing," I say quickly, before squeezing her hand lightly. "Let's go."_

* * *

I wake up with a start, before looking up to see Fi waiting by my side patiently.

"How long has it been," I ask breathlessly, struggling to my feet. "Did I sleep for long?"

"It has been fifteen minutes," Fi says simply, rising above me. "I have scanned the room and there are no signs of danger within the immediate area. Are you ready to depart, Master?"

"Yes...I'm ready."

As I straighten up and shake my head to clear my thoughts, I pause.

"Fi," I ask, waiting until she floats down to make eye contact with me. "You said something before that I thought was a bit strange. You said I had to take up my sword 'once more'. What did you mean by that?"

Fi pauses, before turning away. In her methodical voice she tells me, "Master, I cannot say with certainty what that means. I am merely following instructions left for me by the Goddess."

Her hesitation answers enough for me; it's clear that the Goddess has asked Fi to keep things from me, although what those things are I can't say for certain. Despite all this, I can feel Fi's slight disappointment at not being able to answer my question.

With one last sigh, I roll my shoulders again before turning back to my task of reaching the end of the temple.

As I push the large, ornate doors open an unnerving cold sweeps over me. It's an ominous feeling, one that sends shivers down my spine and has my hair standing on end.

 _It's for Zelda,_ I tell myself, walking through the doors into the small room. _Just focus on finding Zelda._

When the doors slam behind me with a booming sound I jump a bit before looking back over my shoulder. I must be exuding nerves, because Fi pipes up, "Master, I detect Zelda's presence is close. Are you going to proceed?"

I swallow my fear and try to step forward towards the small glowing door on the other side of the room when everything seems to rumble and a blinding flash erupts in the room.

As I raise an arm to shield my eyes and the blast fades, I see a strange figure standing with his back turned to me.

The person standing before the door holds a long, dark blade. He wears a scarlet cape with a high collar, and when he senses me staring the sword disappears with a wave of strange dark magic.

I'm on guard as he turns, revealing a sleek silver haircut and a face full of malicious glee. The corners of his white lips turn upwards into a cruel smile before his large, dark eyes widen even more with a look that makes me uncomfortable.

"Well…" he finally speaks in a silky voice that has my skin crawling. "Look who finally made it to the party."

As I continue to stare, he sighs and tosses his hair back loftily.

"I thought that tornado I stirred up would have ripped you to pieces. Yet here you are. Not in pieces."

He turns his head to look back at the door behind him, revealing a large blue earring that hangs gaudily from his right ear.

"Your life or death has no consequence though," he says simply, still staring at the door. "It's just the girl that matters now, and she's already here...just beyond this door. Yes...we plucked her majesty from her perch in the clouds and now she's ours."

When I glare a little, he chuckles despite not being able to see me.

"Oh, but listen to me. I'm being positively uncivil; allow me to introduce myself."

With a turn, he faces me again with a prideful look on his face. Tossing his hair back again he simpers, "I am the Demon Lord who presides over this land you look down on. You may call me Ghirahim. In truth, I prefer to be indulged with my full title: Lord Ghirahim. But I'm not fussy."

At that he makes eye contact with me and smirks again.

I've had it; I narrow my eyes and reach for my sword. I draw it quickly, the sound of metal scraping as I try to steel myself for a fight.

Ghirahim sighs when he sees this. Rolling his eyes, he mutters, "Did you really just draw your sword? How cliche."

Raising his arms as if he's preaching, he continues.

"Foolish boy...you have no idea who you are talking to. By all rights the girl should have been in our hands already. She was nearly ours when that loathsome servant of the Goddess snatched her away…"

As he speak the whole room begins to grow darker, and when he begins to writhe in anger I take a step back, still speechless.

"Do you have any idea how that made me feel?" he growls, his hands clenching the air with fury. "Outraged! Furious! SICK with anger!" Ghirahim shouts these last words, disappearing at the last phrase.

His voice echoes around the chamber, and as I look around frantically he snarls, "This whole turn of events has left me with a _very_ strong desire for bloodshed."

Just as I look to the right I feel a presence on my right shoulder; he's snuck up behind me, and as he leers over my shoulder at me I resist the urge to shudder.

"Still…" he ponders aloud, his eyes full of malice. "It hardly seems fair to take out all of my anger on YOU, given my position. I promise up front not to murder you."

His eyes widen as does his smile at my mortified expression. "No, I'll just torture you within an inch of your life!"

As he cackles that last line his tongue shoots out, and I close my eyes and move to where I can face him.

I grit my teeth, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing exactly how disgusted I am right now and raise my sword. He laughs even more, and as he raises his arm and his cape disappears in a blaze of black magic I tighten my grip on my sword.

* * *

I continue to crouch in defensive position, my sword at the ready despite my aching body. When Ghirahim began to fight me, I thought I could get rid of him easily….

He stand before me, looking unimpressed and hardly ruffled as he wipes his mouth.

"Well...you put up more of a fight than I would have expected out of such a soft boy," he says, looking at me with contempt on his face. "Don't applaud yourself yet though. That sword is the only reason you're still alive."

I swallow, hard, and try to not show how tired I am.

Looking away towards the door, Ghirahim clicks his tongue and says, "I fear I spent too long teasing and toying with you. The girl's presence has all but faded...there's no reason for me to be here any longer."

As he begins to disappear, he tells me, "Good-bye, Sky Child. Run and play this time-if you get in my way again, I will not hesitate to kill you."

With one laugh last he disappears in another flash. I hesitate for a second, but when it hits me that he really is gone I sink to my knees and gasp for air.

Ghirahim...it's his fault.

It's his fault Zelda got dragged down here, and it's his fault that I've missed her again.

As I continue gasping for breath, Fi materializes in front of me.

"You did quite well despite your lack of training," Fi says. "Shall we proceed?"

I want to be angry at her callousness, but when I look up at her I understand she meant no harm by her statement. Struggling back to my feet once more, I sigh and sheathe my sword once more.

Walking to the glowing door before me, I place a hand on it and it opens easily. I find myself in a wondrous spring, and the contrast to what just happened releases any tension I had left. Calmer, I walk forward to get a better look at my surroundings when I see a raised platform at the very edge of the spring.

As in Skyloft, a statue of the Goddess awaits me. This one, despite being smaller, seems even more imposing as I approach it and glance down at the altar before me.

"Raise your sword and perform a Skyward Strike on the altar," Fi tells me, cueing me to draw my sword once more. When the small winged symbol glows as it did before, Fi appears to float on the water.

"Master, there is a message left here in the ancient language. Please allow me to translate."

I nod, and Fi bends gracefully to begin a dance. As she sprints over the water, flying and leaping around the spring, her voice sings, " _From the edge of time I guide you, chosen one. The Spirit Maiden who descended must travel to two sacred places to purify her body. You stand in one of these places: Skyview Spring. The other is known as the Earth Spring."_

Fi glides past me, circling the fountain again as she continues to relay the message to me.

" _The Earth Spring is hidden deep in the scorched land of Eldin. The Spirit Maiden, awoken to her true nature and the heavy task before her, has set out for this sacred place."_

A glowing light emits from the Goddess Statue, and another old stone tablet lands gently in my hands. As Fi flies to be next me, I grip the tablet and shake my head; Zelda's gone again.

Looking at the tablet, Fi observes, "That is all of the message, Master. It would appear Zelda purified herself here and continued her journey."

As I tuck the tablet into my pouch, I ask, "And what percentage do I have of finding her at the next spring?"

"About ninety-seven percent," Fi answers. "It is not clear what method Zelda used to move from here to her next destination. My analysis of the tablet suggests we return to the altar in the sky and use the tablet to open the next column of light where you may continue your search for Zelda."

I nod, and as Fi disappears back into the sword I turn to look up at the statue of the Goddess. Closing my eyes, I say a silent prayer for Zelda's safety before turning back to where I entered.

"Let's return to the sky, Fi. We've got another journey ahead of us."


	13. Chapter 13

_~~Zelda~~_

I stand on the very edge of what appears to be a dry, desolate land. It's nothing like the woods I recently left, and as I sigh a bit of relief at having made it this far I slide down to rest for a bit.

After registering exactly what was happening, I felt a dark presence approaching the spring; it was sinister enough to send me running. My harp, its powers long forgotten to me, had activated at a mere touch of my fingers and as more memories continued to fill my mind I found myself able to access some of my former potential.

I smile to myself, remembering just how startling it was to find I could produce magic of my own, magic enough to fight and run as needed.

"I'm still weak, Link, but if you could see me now!" I crow to the empty air around me. "You'd be green with jealousy if you knew what I'm capable of now!"

Of course, there's no reply.

With a shake of my head, I pull out my harp and take another close look at it. It's just as beautiful as it was when my father first handed it to me up on Skyloft, but now that I understand it's mine I feel more connected to it than ever.

"Hylia...I'm Hylia," I say aloud, trying to feel more like a goddess. "Hylia…."

I glance up at the volcano ahead of me; surely I can take a small break before heading there. Sinking back to relax against the rock I've been using to prop myself up, I close my eyes again and hold the harp close to my chest.

"Link…" I murmur. "What are you up to now?"

I want to see him.

I want to see him….

I want…..

I….

* * *

 _Hylia's hero is stands before me; the Link I can't remember looks at me with a flat expression, nothing like the warmth I've seen before._

" _Stay here," he says quietly, and with a start I look around and realize I'm sitting in what appears to be...a closet?_

" _Stay here," he repeats, "And don't make a sound. I don't want them finding you."_

" _Finding me?"_

 _With a nod, he steps backwards out the closet door and slides it shut, leaving me in the darkness. There's a sliver of light near the door, and when I crawl forward I can peek through just enough to see what's happening._

 _At the front door, Link takes a deep breath before speaking loudly._

" _Who is it?"_

" _Link, open up! It's us!"_

 _He hesitates, then slides the door open as two men spill into his home. Quickly, Link shuts the door behind them before hissing, "What do you want? It's late!"_

" _I know, I know," one man says casually as he stretches. "We came because we have some interesting news."_

" _This better not be the same kind of news you give me when you've been drinking."_

" _No, this is important; It's about the duke."_

 _Link stiffens, and out of the corner of his eye I see him glance at my hiding spot. Grabbing the man by the shoulders, Link murmurs something to him and as the three of them move to the other room. I can't hear much of what they're saying, but when I hear Link's voice it seems to be rising in irritation before it drops back into silence._

 _It's a few more minutes before Link and the two men reappear. He's practically kicking them out the door when one turns around and mentions, "Oh, Link, I forgot to ask."_

" _What?"_

" _Did you meet a woman?"_

 _I can't see Link's face, but when I look closer I see the tips of his ears have turned a bright red as he sputters, "Wh-what are you talking about? What gave you that idea?"_

 _The man smirks and says, "Well some people mentioned they'd seen you walking around with a VERY pretty girl today...of course, you're so focused on training and your knighthood that I can't possibly see you taking off time to spend on a woman."_

" _Just get out!" Link shoves the two men out the doors and closes it with a resounding slam. He waits by the door, one ear pressed by it until he's sure they've left before coming to let me out of the closet._

" _Sorry about that," he mutters, avoiding eye contact with me. "Don't mind them; they're...friends of mine that stop by every once in awhile."_

 _I want to ask him why they came, but something holds me back-it's too soon. We've only barely met. He's already been kind enough to give me a place to sleep._

 _I can't ask him for more._

 _As I duck my head and leave my hiding spot, I dust off my dress and say, "You seem to be in high demand. All day people have stopped you to talk."_

 _Link shakes his head, leaning against a nearby wall as he crosses his arms._

" _I'm not that popular," he replies, still avoiding my eyes. "I'm one of the strongest in the kingdom. It's only natural people would ask for my help first when they get a chance."_

 _I feel it; something pierces my heart like a knife, and I try to avoid flinching as I look at him._

 _Something will happen to this man._

 _Something terrible, but inevitable._

 _Despite knowing this, I smile at him._

" _Good night, Link," I say softly, padding towards the small storage room he's set up for me. "I will see you in the morning."_

" _Good night, Hylia," he replies, finally looking at me for the first time. "Pleasant dreams."_

* * *

I wake with a start.

Quickly I sit up, listening closely to my surroundings; something is approaching me. The harder I listen, the more apparent it becomes to me that my pursuers from the woods are on my trail. Grunts, yelps, and other unpleasant screeches all but give them away, and as I spring to my feet and begin to run towards the mountain I try to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach.

It's not until the mines that I have a chance to rest again. As I breath, trying to get used to the stifling heat of the caverns, I listen closely for my attackers.

For the moment it seems I'm safe.

Instantly I allow myself to recall my most recent memory; Hylia and her hero.

Or rather, me and a Link I knew before. He's still a stranger to me, this person from the past. Despite seeming so familiar, he's much colder than MY Link. He has a look in his eyes that tells me the land he lives in is harsh, and a stature that makes me feel uncomfortable at times even though I'm only experiencing a memory.

Just a memory...just a dream.

Why did Hylia meet with him in the first place? Why did she...why did I come down and pretend to be a mortal?

It's already very clear to me that the hero of the past had no idea who he was truly speaking to until the very end. And while I know that he died protecting the land of Hylia, I still can't understand why he was willing to do so or why he and Hylia were so close.

Surely it couldn't be…

My thoughts are interrupted by another screech, and when I look up I see one of the red atrocities has spotted me. Quickly, I stumble to my feet and run, clambering up ledges in an attempt to escape.

I'm lucky again; the creature and its gang are left behind as I pull myself to the next level and rush back out into the blazing heat of the lava paths. On the far end there's a large gap where a bridge should be, but when I hear the monsters still chasing me I shake my head and lunge towards it anyways.

"You can do this," I tell myself as I run full speed towards what could be certain death. "You can make it over the gap."

I blaze past another strange looking animal-this one yelps in surprise as it sees me but doesn't make an attempt to follow me when I jump towards the other side. As I fly over the ledge, I lower a hand and try to channel some of the remnants of power I have left; again, luck saves me as a small bridge of light forms at my feet, allowing me to cross safely.

Just when I think I'm safe again, I look up to see a large group of the red monsters waiting for me on the other side.

"Hhhnrgh!" I try to stop myself from crashing into them.

Unfortunately, my momentum was too great and as I fly straight into the net they're opened for me I find myself slammed into the ground.

I whimper in pain as everything begins to grow fuzzy again, and as I raise a hand to my temple I see red before the dark embraces me once more.

* * *

 _Again. It's the Link from the past AGAIN._

 _I'm following him through a crowd, trying desperately to keep up with him. As I'm jostled by the busy marketplace I look up to see him getting further and further away. Quickly I turn my attention to my feet, trying to urge myself to catch up to him only to stumble forward._

 _I brace myself for the ground when a pair of arms catches me, and when I look up Link is looking down at me with an amused grin._

 _It shakes me to the core: for the first time since I've been experiencing these memories, he actually looks like the Link from Skyloft._

" _Don't you know how to walk?" he teases me, sending more chills down my spine at just how similar he suddenly is to my childhood friend. "Come on, stand up by yourself."_

 _As I straighten up, he turns to move again but continues to hold onto my hand. He pulls me through the crowd, and as people turn to look at him I feel myself heating up at the sudden attention._

" _Link, you don't have to-"_

" _I want to," he interrupts me smoothly, tightening his grip on my hand. "Don't worry about them; they're just unused to seeing me with company. Hold your head high, alright?"_

 _I do as he asks._

 _It's not until we're far from the crowds at Lake Floria that I ask, "What was that all about?"_

" _Nothing," he replies. "They just never thought they'd see the day where the strongest knight in the kingdom actually found a woman who WASN'T intimidated."_

" _Wait, so you're only spending time with me because I'm the first woman to tolerate you?"_

" _No, that's not it," Link shakes his head, waving away my indignant tone. "It's not just that you're the only woman-you're the first person I've ever met who doesn't treat me the way everyone else does."_

 _He grows quiet as I stare at him, a pensive look on his face as he stares at the clear waters before us. Slowly, he moves to sit on the edge of the path. As he dangles his legs over the ledge and looks out at the three waterfalls before us, he lets out a long sigh._

 _I'm curious; I join him, sitting next to him on the ledge._

 _It's a few more minutes before he looks at me again._

" _Hylia," he says quietly, and I look at him, not wanting to say a thing. "What do you think of me, now that you know who I really am?"_

" _What do I think?"_

 _He nods, looking anxious to hear my reply._

" _You're courageous," I start slowly. "You're strong-much stronger than your friends or any of the other townspeople. And I can tell that they fear you, to some extent. I can tell that even the duke that you serve fears you. You're have friends, but you're closed off to many and…"_

 _I glance over at him; the look on his face is one of hurt, with recognition in his eyes._

 _I smile, lifting a hand to touch his cheek gently. That gets his attention: he looks up at me, eyes wide as I continue._

" _And they're all wrong," I say softly. "All of them. You're kind, and reliable. You look out for everyone no matter what, and you're warm...very warm. I've known that since I first met you, Link."_

 _He looks so bewildered, as if he's never heard this before. When I smile encouragingly at him, he finally smiles back; his eyes full of a warmth I've seen before. It's the same warmth I've seen in my Link from Skyloft._

 _My heart pounds furiously in my chest, and as we continue to watch each other I can feel his hands trembling as he reaches up to gently caress my face._

" _Hylia," he says, and hearing my name alone is enough to move me._

 _I lean forward, eyes closing as he comes closer to me._

 _Closer…._

 _Closer…_

* * *

My head pounds. As I struggle to get my bearings, cold metal encircles my wrists.

One pull confirms it; I'm chained up. My eyes fly open at this news, and when I look around I see that I've been left alone in a dark area. Lava floats around me, and as I cough at the heat I reach up to feel that my wound from before has dried up.

My white dress is no longer white; I've clearly been dragged to wherever this hellscape is, and when I press my legs and arms delicately and feel the beginnings of bruises I curse a bit under my breath.

I need to get out of here.

As I look around trying to determine how I'm going to escape, I try to calm my furiously beating heart; just moments ago I was in a peaceful landscape, ready to kiss him and now I'm in a terrifying place where nothing is certain.

I was going to kiss him.

I WANTED to kiss him...or well, Hylia wanted to kiss him.

She loves him so deeply that I still feel it, even as I'm chained to the floor.

"It's so difficult," I moan, complaining to myself. "Why do I have to feel like two people instead of one?"

As I stand up weakly, looking at my surroundings, I hear a woman's voice.

"Your Grace!"

I turn to see the blonde woman from before; she looks exactly the same as she did in my vision at Skyward Spring, and when she runs up to me quickly I find that I know her.

"Impa," I say, "It's good to see you again."


	14. Chapter 14

_~~Link~~_

I return to the skies in a sweeping wind, ascending just high enough that my Loftwing is able to catch me as necessary. It's a quick trip to Skyloft, but as I approach it I hear a familiar whistle from above; Pipit and Karane descend on either side of me, their Loftwings moving to position themselves around my own.

"I see the hero has returned," Karane says skeptically, her eyes tight as she eyes me dubiously. "Where's Zelda?"

Pipit, from my other side, gives her a warning look that immediately has her looking away. Ignoring her question, my friend asks, "How was it? The Surface, I mean. What's it like down there?"

"Big. Scary. Full of monsters," I say, struggling to come up with a comprehensive sentence. As Skyloft comes back into sight I feel a sense of disappointment that I'm returning without Zelda. Over my head Karane and Pipit exchange a look, before Karane turns to me with a much nicer tone than before.

"Link, why don't you stop by the Academy and get some good food and rest? You look tired."

"Can't," I reply curtly, urging my Loftwing towards the Statue of the Goddess. "I have to hurry and get back down there. I have to find her before someone else does."

When Karane's face shows alarm, I lean forward and my Loftwing speeds off.

"Link, wait!" Pipit calls after me, his own Loftwing trying to catch up to mine. "Link! LINK!"

As soon as the Goddess Statue is in sight I drop off my Loftwing, not even waiting for it to make a landing. My sailcloth slows my descent as before, and as I hurry into the Statue of the Goddess I can hear hurried landings behind me as my friends attempt to catch up with me.

All this I continue to ignore, pulling the ruby tablet out of my bag and heading straight for the altar. Just as I get it to fit in its place Karane and Pipit enter the room.

"Link-"

Pipit is cut off as there's a rumbling noise from outside. I turn, ready to walk back out the door and head to the Surface when I find myself blocked off by Karane. Despite being smaller than me by a whole head, she glares at me as she stands in my way.

We stare each other down, both of us trying to convey what we want the other to do. It's not until Pipit steps in a few minutes later that the tense silence is broken.

"Karane, stop," the upperclassman orders, causing her to jerk back with shock. Just before I can thank him, he turns to me with a strict look and gives me the same order.

"You stop too," he tells me, his normal happy demeanor gone.

"I can't," I say urgently, already beginning to feel the panic set in as I think back to Ghirahim. That demon said more than enough to make me uncomfortable with even just returning to the sky for a few minutes...how long will it take him to catch up to Zelda if he's down there after her right now?

I realize I've been staring at my friend in silence since my last sentence, and quickly I amend, "I can't stay, Pipit. I have to get back there. Just returning to the sky reminds me that I still haven't found her."

A thin line of concern appears on Pipit's forehead, before he sighs; it's such a heavy, solemn sound that I find myself caught by surprise. It's a sound I would have never thought I'd hear from someone as positive as him.

"Link," he begins, in a tone so gentle it has me flinching at the shock of it. "I understand. We all do-nothing up here has been the same since both you of left. But you're the only one we can try and help right now, and if you keep brushing us off and pretending you're okay by yourself eventually you'll crumble. What's the point of you going back down there and collapsing from exhaustion? You won't be able to help anyone if you can't rest properly and gain back your strength."

We make eye contact as he lets his words sink in. When he nods again, I finally allow him to grab my shoulder and guide me towards home.

* * *

 _I hear the clash of swords and shields, and when I open my eyes I see a vaguely familiar training ground. There are two men sparring at the far end, and as I watch the taller one easily disarms his friend before turning to me._

" _Sir! How'd I do?" the tall one looks at me expectantly, his eyes bright._

" _Fine," I tell him, standing up and brushing my blue tunic off. "Would you like me to demonstrate some techniques or…?"_

 _Both men turn pale for some reason at that, before muttering, "No...no thank you…" Before I can comprehend why they've suddenly become so shy they run off as another voice answers my unspoken question._

" _They're new, don't feel too badly of them," a different man informs me as he strides up by my side. "Everyone here knows you after all."_

 _I laugh; it's a bitter sound._

" _Of course," I concede, looking down at the sword at my side. As my hand rests on the hilt, I pull it out and allow the sun to reflect off of the blade. It's nothing like the Goddess Sword-this blade in my hand is unbalanced, too heavy in the hand._

 _Although it's unspoken, I suddenly feel as if this sword has killed and maimed many. Just looking at its blade gives me chills as I come to slow realization that this sword I'm holding is a sign of death for all who see it._

 _Then again it's not the sword but rather me…._

 _Before I can say anything, the man at my side sighs, "Link, just be careful. I have a feeling that lately people have grown more restless having you around. There hasn't been a war in years...the time for battle gods like you is over. They see you as a ticking time bomb, far too strong to be contained if you decided to change our society."_

" _I don't care about any of that," I growl, sheathing my sword. "They use me as they please, these people. I'm just a tool for their discontent."_

 _The man doesn't reply, and as we stare out at the courtyard, I feel my anger wearing down as my thoughts turn elsewhere. Slowly, my eyes drift up to the Temple of the Goddess; for one second I'm angry at her._

 _Why did this Goddess give me this cursed strength?_

 _Why did she turn me into a monster that was feared by others?_

 _Is my only purpose to be a war machine for these men who only seek power? Am I destined to live an isolated life?_

 _If even one person could understand me then…._

* * *

I close my eyes this time as I descend back to the world below.

Upon waking from my latest dream I found myself antsier than ever to get to Zelda. Each dream seems more real than the last, and increasingly I feel as if I'm being led somewhere by something otherworldly.

This is what they call fate...right?

* * *

As I fall towards a mountainous area stifling heat rises to greet me; I squint as I unfurl my sailcloth and land on the red land. This place is a far cry from the lush greenery of the forest-it's dry and barren, with lava and the feeling of danger more present than ever.

Chin raised, I begin the harsh climb towards my next goal.

"Fi," I gasp, wiping more sweat than ever from my forehead as I glance up at the menacing face of the stone dragon ahead of me. "How close?"

"The door to the spring is just on the other side of this lava," Fi informs me as I struggle up the path.

"Zelda?"

"There is a ninety percent chance you will find Zelda at this spring."

"Good."

I grunt, then huff as I continue my climb towards the top. Again, I've found myself in what appears to be another dangerous temple; I'm beginning to wonder what kind of priests or sages built these to make them so scary. When I reach the top of the hill near the dragon's mouth I see an ornate chest just below the claws.

Reaching into the chest I find a rather large golden sculpture, and as soon as my fingers touch the object I feel another wave of heat hit me all at once.

The room begins to blur, but rather than fatigue I feel a sudden rush of adrenaline and bloodlust unlike anything I've felt before. As I glance down at the metal in my hands, I turn over the curious object and watch the light glint off the gold.

It's heavy and twisted, and as my fingers wrap around it I recognize the grooves and patterns as something I've seen before.

Everything makes sense now.

These temples. I've seen them both before.

I've been through them both before.

Neither was this bad but...somewhere, somewhere deep inside me I know I've endured these trials before.

"This isn't possible," I mutter to myself as I continue to turn the object over in my hand. "I can't…"

Fi materializes at my side, and in a voice mirroring curiosity inquires, "Master? Would you like to take a short rest before proceeding?"

"Fi," I say, turning and holding up the golden object. "Fi, what is this?"

She scans it, then states, "After analyzing it's appearance and material it appears that the object in your hand will open up the central door to the spring as it was in Skyview Temple."

"Have you seen this before?"

Fi stares at me, as indecipherable as ever as she replies, "I have not. This is my first time viewing the relic."

I throw the relic in the air and catch it before asking, "This is a relic? What was the last one?"

"They are all relics. These sculptures, much like the temples, were created during the Age of Hylia. They were placed in these temples which were created under the direction of the Goddess."

My eyes widen at her last statement, and I murmur, "The _Goddess_ ordered these temples to be built? Why?"

Awe sweeps over me as I clutch the relic in my hand. While I stare, Fi explains, "These temples were designed and built by the Goddess herself in order to test the mettle and determination of her chosen hero."

This was all a test by the Goddess for her hero and now a test for me...in the back of my head I can almost hear Zelda telling me that I should have realized this all sooner. After all isn't Fi the Goddess Sword? Wasn't she sent to insure that I would follow my destiny as the hero before me did?

Looking down at the heavy metal in my hand again I close my eyes, feeling the gravity of the situation weighing down on me. My thumb runs over a rough edge, and suddenly the bloodlust feeling is back.

It oppresses me, and as I open my eyes and feel another heat wave I understand even more I wanted to.

 _ **I understand who I am now.**_

Fi seems to sense a change in my resolution; when I begin walking towards the central door she hovers by with an almost nervous air.

"Master? Is everything alright?"

I stop just at the edge of the platform, not daring to turn around as I begin to feel anger course through my veins; it's an anger of an older time, a feeling imprinted on the me who is standing here right now.

Taking a deep breath, I ask, "Fi. Can I ask you a question?"

"Yes, Master?"

I take a breath, then nervously ask, "Do I save her?"

There's a pause, before Fi replies, "I do not understand-"

"Do I save her Fi? Do I... _can_ I save her?"

Her silence confirms it, and I close my eyes and try to calm down before pocketing the sculpture.

It's not until I'm about to open the door to the spring that Fi speaks again.

"She can be saved," Fi finally reassures me as my hand rests on the door. "She **must** be saved."

I close my eyes, then take one last deep breath before pushing open the door.


	15. Chapter 15

_~~Zelda~~_

As the notes fade from my lips, I feel it: he's here.

It's as if I'm hypersensitive to everything at this point, but just knowing what's on the other side of the door behind me has me wanting to run that way even if it's headlong into danger. My attention begins to slide from my task, and when I feel a sharp gaze on me I finally snap out of my daze and look up to see a frustrated face on the woman who rescued me.

The look of exasperation she gives me is one I know well-it's the same look I give Link- but being on the receiving end feels worse than I expected. My astonishment must show because Impa sighs, before the harsh look fall from her face.

"Your Grace," she chides me in a gentle, but firm tone. "We must hurry. You know what's on the other side of the door, don't you?"

"Link," I answer immediately, earning a scowl from my guardian.

"Not now, Your Grace. There's no time, you must open the gate and regain the rest of your memories!"

At her cold tone, I meet her eyes. Raising my shoulders, I ask, "Impa, although I may not remember much I certainly don't remember doing anything to merit this kind of treatment."

The tall woman hesitates, before lowering her eyes and bending slightly at the waist. I worry I've offended her when she replies quietly, "I apologize for scolding you, but it is of utmost importance we finish this ritual. You should understand the danger you are in just by being in this place."

When she sees the confusion on my face her expression softens all the more.

"Finish the ritual," Impa urges me. "I promise I will tell you all you want to know once you finish."

I nod, feeling more encouraged to sing again when a sudden chill sweeps throughout the spring. As the dark feeling chokes me, surrounding me in a heavy aura, I take a few deep breaths to steady myself. From the corner of my eye I notice Impa has tensed even more; wound like a spring, she keeps her sharp eyes on the door as she nods to the side for me to continue my song.

My voice echoes around the chamber, playing back to me as I sing the verse from the previous spring. To my surprise a small circle of light pools at my feet, before it begins to swell with an energy that runs through my bones.

Suddenly the light shoots up and opens into a pillar of light, glowing with a warmth that beckons me in. Impa lightly steps to my side, before placing a hand on my shoulder to usher me into the light.

Just before I take my first step though, I hear something that catches my attention.

I turn slowly, ignoring the look on Impa's face as my eyes find Link's. We both hesitate, staring at each other wordlessly as we try to make sense of the fact that we're finally seeing each other again. The Link that stands before me is different from the boy I was separated from; there's something in his eyes that I can't quite place, a wariness that was never there when we were in the sky. He's guarded and cautious, but when I finally meet his eyes the look of anxiety and fear melts away into a breathtaking smile.

It's him-it's really him!

He's here!

"Zelda," he breathes, sending shivers through me. "Zelda!"

"Link!" I call back, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips as I run towards him.

He's so close I can reach out and touch him- as I stretch my fingers out towards him and take a few steps forward my view is suddenly blocked by Impa. Standing in front of me, she stares down and murmurs, "Your Grace, you cannot go to him. Remember what we discussed. Restrain yourself. Focus on the task at hand!"

From the bottom of the steps Link looks up at me silently. His eyes beg me to stay, to reach out to him; my chest aches as he holds out a hand and whispers, "Zelda?"

I can't bear to do this to him.

It's as if my heart is being ripped in two, and the pain seems to double as I realize I'm not just leaving behind my childhood friend-I'm leaving behind the hero of Hylia's time.

I want to be with him.

I want to be with him more than ever.

It's a yearning that never stops, a feeling that overtakes me and makes me want to abandon reason.

It's a feeling that some part of me has been missing and I just want to get it back. As we stare at each other, on the brink of hesitation, Impa clears her throat quietly. When I finally meet her eyes, we seem to come to an understanding and I turn around.

Clasping my hands to my chest, I try to ignore my sinking heart as I walk slowly towards the pillar of light before me.

"Zelda!" Link calls out from behind me, and for a second I waver on the thought of turning around again before continuing to walk forward.

"I'm sorry, Link," I say quietly, more to myself than to him. Raising my voice, I repeat, "I'm sorry! But I have to go now!"

I step into the light before I can hear his reply, and as my surroundings brighten I close my eyes again.

* * *

 _It's far too quiet for my liking._

 _As I gaze at the inky black darkness around me, I suddenly feel light headed before my surroundings come into focus. When the outline of a battlefield fill my vision I catch my breath and try to suppress the horror I feel at the scene before me; it's as if the ground is soaking with blood._

 _The very ground seems to give off a reddish hue, and hundreds….no, thousands of men are strewn across the fields._

 _Trembling, I sink to my knees and try to keep my heart from racing with panic._

 _My people!_

 _What's become of them?_

 _I choke back a sob, my eyes seeking the fields as I look at the fallen army. There are so many dead bodies that it seems to defy belief, and I feel ashamed even more when I realize why they died._

 _They have no leader. Their dukes, their lords...they have all abandoned them, and the only person who can save them has been locked away in a dungeon by the very people he needs to protect._

 _As I continue to stare out at the destruction, I feel a hand on my shoulder. From above, I hear Impa speak._

 _"Your Grace," she says gently. "This is not your fault."_

 _I rise slowly as I reply, "They are my people. I should have protected them-it is as if they have all died by my own hands."_

 _"No. Your Grace, you may be the Goddess but you are not able to do everything by yourself."_

 _I smile bitterly at this, turning my eyes towards the familiar kingdom in the distance._

 _"I cannot help them, as much as I would like to," I mutter, feeling even worse. "I knew this would happen and yet it still hurts….why do I still feel as if I could have prevented this?"_

 _Impa says nothing as I begin walking towards the castle in the distance. It's the kingdom where Link is. The kingdom and man I abandoned years ago at the will of the gods above seems to mock me from this distance, but when the crimson loftwing lands at my side I strengthen my resolve._

 _"We must go," I say to Impa. "The time has come."_

* * *

 _A crowd of men lines the top of the walls that guard the kingdom, and as I fly closer I can see the fear in their eyes._

 _"A demon! A demon is approaching!" someone yells, jolting the rest of the men into action. As I dodge their weapons, the loftwing and I fly faster towards them. Just as I think they may drive me away in their fear, a familiar voice rings out._

 _"Wait!" Link calls out. "There's someone on that creature!"_

 _The crowd parts as the loftwing begins its descent, and as it lands I find myself facing Link, who has placed himself at the front of the army as if to shield them. He seems wary at first, but as I slide off the loftwing to face him his expression changes from caution to bewilderment._

 _"Hylia…?" he whispers, his eyes searching my face for an answer._

 _Ignoring his questioning tone, I straighten up and say loudly, "I am the Goddess Hylia. I cannot stand aside while my people and land fall to ruin. I have descended from the skies with a loftwing, a bird of the gods to guide you to a place where you will be safe."_

 _A hush falls over the crowd before they kneel before me, all except Link who continues to stare until one of the men behind him gently pulls him to the ground._

 _Finally I look at Link, and when our eyes meet for the first time in years I unveil the goddess sword. Pulling the blade from its sheath, I hold the magnificent sword to the light and say, "This sword shall become the pillar between this world and the skies above. It must be reforged by one among you who is an honorable hero. The demon king continues to make his way here even as I speak. I have gathered the other races in this land to fight against him, but we will not be able to hold him from this place for long."_

 _Link continues to kneel until his comrades gently push him forward. Rising slowly, he averts his eyes away from me as he says quietly, "I am no hero. I was imprisoned for a long time. I was unable to protect the one dearest to me."_

 _At this last sentence, he looks at me again and I feel warmth and sorrow flood through me at his forlorn expression._

 _"I am not fit to touch the sacred sword, let alone wield it."_

 _Link hangs his head, a bittersweet smile on his face. I smile at this, knowing perfectly well what he must be feeling._

 _"This sword will know whether or not you are tarnished," I say, offering him the gleaming blade once more. "Will you help me save my people? Or will you hold this kingdom in contempt for what it has done to you?"_

 _He smiles grimly this time, before meeting my eyes resolutely._

 _"People...gods...you all use me when it suits you. But it goes without saying that I shall always rise up to protect this land!"_

* * *

 _I can feel him watching me from the wood, and when I turn and give him a reprimanding look he jumps before quietly walking to my side. As we stand together at the top of the battlement, watching the men prepare for the final battle, he says nothing._

 _My heart is leaping in my chest with anxiety; he could be feeling anything about me now. After everything that happened, after all these years….does he still love me?_

 _Can he still love me, knowing who I am now?_

 _I close my eyes, afraid of what he might say to me._

 _Just when I think the silence will overwhelm me and drive me insane, I hear him take a deep breath and I open my eyes to peek at him from the corner of my eye. To my surprise he's looking at me, and when I face him he releases a breath he's been holding._

 _"Hylia," he starts, but before he can finish I grab his hand and quickly take off. As I drag him behind me to a quieter area I feel him stumbling behind me, but I press on regardless. It's not until we've reached a small private garden that I finally release my grip on his hand._

 _When I turn to him he opens his mouth to say something again but I interrupt him with a kiss. I can tell that at first he's surprised, but as I melt into him he slowly wraps his arms around me before returning my fervor._

 _We part slowly, before he pulls away and gently touches my cheek._

 _"I missed you," he says simply._

 _"I missed you too," I breathe as he draws me into a tight hug._

 _I hug him back, and when he laughs I pull back to see that he's turned completely red._

 _"I won't get struck by fire from the heavens...will I?" he laughs nervously, his eyes flickering to the sky. When I giggle at the look on his face he pouts, before his arms settle around me slowly. As his hands fall to my hips, he leans in close to rest his forehead against mine._

 _I can tell he has questions for me-though he's finally relaxed near me there's a tension in the air that can't be displaced. I can tell he's wondering why I left him, and why I never told him who I truly was._

 _It's clear he's afraid to really talk to me like he used to. It's as if he's worried I'll leave again when we've only just reunited._

 _Slowly, I say, "Link. I know you have questions and they need answers, but please give me some more time. I promise to tell you everything when the time is right."_

 _He starts with surprise at my words, before a smile wreaths his face. Pulling me close again he nods, and together we stay that way for a long time._


	16. Chapter 16

_~~Link~~_

As she turns away from me and disappears into the light, I move to run after her.

I can't let her go now-not when she's here, right in front of me!

Before I can take another step however, the pillar of light shines and her figure is swallowed by the bright glow only to vanish once more. Wordlessly, one hand still outstretched towards the light, I watch as the tall woman walks towards the light to follow Zelda.

"Wait!" I yell, suddenly finding my voice. "Wait!"

I move to rise up the stairs when the woman looks over her shoulder at me contemptuously, her bright red eyes sharp and foreboding. There's a power in her gaze that has me freeze instantly, and as I stare up at her she turns to face me with a look of bitterness.

"You took far too long to get here," the woman says in an imposing voice. "Looking at you, I cannot understand why the Goddess has chosen you to as the new hero. If this failure is any indication of your abilities, then I fear you will not be able to protect Her Grace from those who will harm her."

As she stares down her nose at me with disapproval in her eyes, I feel resentment building in my chest. Who is this woman, that she can act as if she knows me?

Who is she to tell me who I can and can't protect?

Still, when I look into her eyes I feel an overwhelming sense of disappointment; as I bite my lip I curse myself for the guilt that has begun to rise at her words.

The woman, still watching me, speaks again.

"Do my words anger you, boy? Do they sting?"

We make eye contact as she straightens up and continues, "Good. Let them. If I had not arrived when I did your Zelda would not have survived. You failed-that is the truth of it. You were late, and you failed to protect her."

Her words shake me to my core, and as anger consumes me the world begins to grow fuzzy again. Though she continues to speak the words meld together, until I can hear no more than the vision that falls upon me.

* * *

 _There's a rattling noise, and as I struggle to lift my head I realize that I'm being held down by several men. Quickly I become alert, and as I begin to panic and fight them off someone yells, "Hold him still! We can hold him if we all work together!"_

 _I taste blood as several hands push my head into the ground, and as I continue to struggle I hear the sounds of screams and fire. From the corner of my eye I try to get a bearing on my surroundings._

 _A horrific sight greets me; houses, aflame. Families, torn apart and screaming in agony and fright as the noble's army fight off a ragged band of mercenaries._

 _And in the midst of it all, Hylia tied together with chains, her hands clasped behind her back as one of the nobles holds her arm roughly._

 _"Hylia! Let go of her!" I bellow, struggling harder than ever to throw off my assailants. When I look over my shoulder, I find myself staring at more of the noble's soldiers….men that I have fought with and trained for years._

 _Why is this happening?_

 _As I struggle to comprehend what has happened, Lord Dagianis, the noble I serve approaches me with Hylia in tow._

 _"Link, captain of the guard, hero of this land. You are to be held accountable for your crimes to my people."_

 _"Crimes? Lord Dagianis, what-"_

 _"You are guilty of planning to overthrow me of my power and of slaughtering the people here with your hired help," the noble cuts me off smoothly, interrupting my questions and increasing my confusion. "We will have you put in the dungeons for the rest of your miserable, worthless life."_

 _Anger swells within me, and I manage to push enough men off to rise to my feet. As they surround me, preparing to pin me down again I turn back to the man I serve._

 _"Lord Dagianis," I plead, my voice low and calm as I try to make sense of what is happening. "I don't understand. Why would I do any of this? I have been your loyal captain of the guard and nothing more. Why do you believe I would-"_

 _"Several of the mercenaries we captured have already identified you as the one who hired them. I have also heard from several soldiers that you have been plotting to overthrow me. I would have overlooked these statements are rumors had you not set the town on fire and murdered so many. You are the most powerful warrior in this kingdom-it does not surprise anyone that you would want to rise to power."_

 _As the noble stares me down with a strange look of triumph and satisfaction on his face, I find myself at a loss for words. Once again I find myself pinned to the ground as more chains bind my wrists and arms together. When I move to rise again, I find that I've been nearly immobilized._

 _"Finish off the rest of the mercenaries, and bring that girl to my manor. I have...questions for her," Lord Dagianis orders, and as the rest of the men leave the noble kneels down to speak to me in a lower tone._

 _"Take this as a lesson, Link," the noble says quietly to me, a smirk on his face. "You brought this upon yourself; I would not have taken such drastic measures to ensure my position had you not made it clear to the army and the people that you were such a good leader."_

 _"You….you did this? You...framed me?" I growl out between clenched teeth._

 _"How else does one keep their power? They eliminate the biggest threat-even if that threat is my greatest warrior and captain of the guard."_

 _Lord Dagianis straightens up, dusting off his robes as I stare up at him with an overwhelming sense of anger._

 _"You failed, Link. You failed to protect them….and you failed to protect her," he laughs, jerking his head in the direction of Hylia. "And it's too late now."_

 _"Let go of her," I growl, struggling even harder to stand. The chains cut into my skin, and I begin to bleed as I attempt to free myself. "Let her go! Dagianis! DAGIANIS!"_

 _As the noble walks away from me and the army returns to pick me up, I catch one last glimpse of Hylia._

 _She's struggling every bit that I am, and as she reaches towards me and screams my name I feel the pain of failure biting at me more than ever. My heart wrenches with an unbearable pain as Hylia disappears from my sight, and my head begins to pound with anxiety at everything that has just happened._

 _This is all my fault._

 _I have to protect her!_

 _I have to save her, no matter the cost!_

 _I can't fail….._

 _I can't…._

* * *

When my vision comes back into focus I find myself still staring up at the pillar of light. The woman is still watching me with disapproval.

We stare at each other silently, before she scoffs lightly.

"Chosen One...Hero indeed. Stay alert, boy."

As she turns to leave, I find my voice again.

"Wait! Where are you going? Where did Zelda go?"

Without turning to look at me, the woman replies, "You cannot follow her now-you have much more to learn before you can protect her. She has gone ahead to learn more of the fate that awaits her. It would behoove you to follow your own fate as well."

She pauses, the continues, "Listen well, Chosen One. If you truly wish to be of help to Her Grace, then you will summon your courage and face the trials laid before you. Only when you've conquered the trials will you be of any use to her. Am I understood?"

Having gotten the last word in, she moves into the light and leaves me alone once more.

When the last of the light fades from the platform and I approach, I take a heavy breath and try to gather my thoughts, sorting out the vision I just had.

It's clear to me now that I still don't know everything.

This person, this hero I was before...who was he, to be betrayed by those he served, those he fought so hard to protect in the first place?

What happened to Hylia?

And what will happen to me now?


	17. Chapter 17

_~~Zelda~~_

When I come to, I find myself coughing violently; the hot musty desert air is too much of a contrast from the memory of Link. As I try to clear my throat, Impa kneels beside me with a flask in hand.

"Your Grace, please drink."

Gratefully I take the water from her, and as I begin to lap up the water greedily Impa looks around us with a look of sorrow.

"This was once a great temple. A sacred land and now….it's fallen to ruin," Impa mutters, the regret in her voice so strong that I begin to feel the telltale dizziness of another memory.

No, not yet!

I have so many questions first!

Fighting back the urge to give in to the pounding of my head, I sit up and say, "Impa, I have questions. Will you answer them? Will we have time to rest before the next ritual?"

The sheikah hesitates, before nodding slowly.

"Yes, there is time. I will tell what I can...although there are some parts of the story that I do not know. What is it you would ask of me?"

"Why did you help me? Not just as Zelda, but as the Goddess?"

Impa smiles at me warmly, before moving to sit in a more comfortable position.

"My tribe, the Sheikah, have always been tasked with the protection of the Goddess. We are the guardians that watch over, and always will. This is my fate."

Her voice is sure and strong, and her eye shine bright with a belief that has me feeling guilty. Impa seems to sense my feelings, and her quizzical look has me sighing before I answer the unspoken question.

"You accept your fate so easily. You're so sure of it, like you have no regrets and no wants. When I look at myself next to you I can't help but feel guilty," I mutter, picking at the ground in front of me. "I understand who I am now and to an extent I know that I have to save us from something terrible, but all I can think about is finishing my task and returning home with Link."

Impa hesitates, before smiling at me gently. As she turns to look out at the desert ahead of us, she replies, "Your past and your present, who you are...this is not something as simple as being born and knowing what you have to do. You may be the Goddess, but you are also your own person, Zelda. I believe it only natural that your life in this time has given you many wonderful things that you did not have before, many things you wish to cherish. There is no reason to feel guilt over that."

When she smiles at me again, I find myself feeling a little better. Returning the smile, I say, "Thank you, Impa. May I ask another question?"

"Of course."

"The Hero. The Chosen One-who was he? What did you know of him?"

Impa's smile flickers for a moment, before she shakes her head and looks to the ground.

"What I know of your Hero is limited, Your Grace, but I will do my best to answer. The man who helped seal away the demons was named Link-just as your friend is. Among the Hylians, he was the strongest. In the wars before the kingdoms settled, he was the one who led an army into battle and finished the war. I remember watching that war from the shadows, as our tribe remained away from the other humans."

A dark look passes over Impa, and she shivers a bit before murmuring, "Your Hero was powerful, and it was that power that made others wary of him and fear him. Although I only knew of him in the wars, he was a familiar name to our tribe as one to be aware of should another war break out."

"But was he kind?" I ask earnestly. "The man I remember, the one I keep seeing in my dreams and visions seems so different from how you describe him."

Impa's gaze meets mine, and she smiles against before laughing, "I understand what you are asking now."

The look she gives me now has me heating up, but all the same she leans forward and begins to speak.

"I was there when you met him as yourself, the Goddess. The look in his eyes was not one of worship like everyone else-it was a look of desire, and of love. And you loved him as well. He never left your side, and he gladly volunteered himself to battle for your people. Many believed it was blasphemous that he was so close to you, a deity, and still others were regretful for how they had treated him before."

"Treated him before? Wasn't he always a hero for the Hylians?"

Impa shakes her head sharply, before looking me in the eye. "He was imprisoned by his own people for four years. He was framed by one of the lords of the realm and was kept in the darkest corner of the kingdom. It was only when the demon war began that they finally released him and begged for his help."

The pounding in my head begins to rise more feverently this time, and as I struggle to remain conscious I find myself with more questions than ever.

The Hero's fate.

Have I known it? Have I always known it?

As I begin to question myself, the pounding grows to a high pain that has me blacking out.

 _ **Was this terrible fate always one he meant to face?**_

* * *

 _When I open my eyes, I'm in the temple of the Goddess._

 _Did it work?_

 _Am I one of them?_

 _Quickly I look around, only to find that my temple is empty. As I sigh in relief and stand up, brushing off the dirt I can't help but notice the dismal state of my temple._

 _There are no priests here and no worshippers._

 _Have my people forgotten me already?_

 _While I grapple with this feeling of loss, I hear a loud creak at the front entrance. My first instinct is to hide behind one of the pews, and as I peek over the wooden bench I see him for the first time._

 _A tall, imposing man marches up to my statuette and stares, one hand on his hip. As he looks up at my image, he scoffs, "Goddess...the Goddess. Aren't you supposed to be watching over us? Aren't we your people?"_

 _His words sting me, and I sit up prepared to confront him when his tone changes._

 _"Your people are out there right now," he mutters to the statuette. "Living under the rule of nobles who care only about how much power they have over others. I fought wars to protect them in your stead and so that we could be free...yet here we are anyway, still under someone else's thumb."_

 _The man sighs loudly, before sitting down in the nearest pew and muttering, "I'm worried. I don't like living this way, not knowing if the lord I serve will someday ask me to help him take over the others. Why can't you give us one leader, one who care about us and unites us together instead of dividing us? And why did you give me this ridiculous strength? Thanks to you…."_

 _When he trails off and mutters angrily into his hands, I slowly stand and approach him from behind. Just as I reach out to touch his shoulder, his hand shoots up to grab my wrist._

 _I find myself roughly pulled as he turns to face me, a wary look in his eyes. For a second we stare at each other, before he releases me and says, "I'm sorry if I hurt you. I was just startled. When did you…?"_

 _"I have been here since the beginning of your prayer," I reply, and instantly the man turns beet red._

 _As he stares down at me, blushing furiously, I feel a strange pull in my chest. My heart begins to beat slightly faster and I quickly cough and say, "I will not tell anyone. After all, I am not from here; there is no one I know."_

 _The man sighs in relief, the blush receding from his cheeks as he pushes back a stray lock of his hair to get a better look at me._

 _"So you're a traveler then. That would explain the strange way you talk."_

 _"Strange? What is so strange about it?"_

 _"You're so formal. Although I suppose it's stranger that you're talking to me at all."_

 _I give him a look of doubt at this._

 _"Are you so important that I should be bowing to you?" I ask, a frown on my face. When I cross my arms and look at him indignantly, he blinks before a smile breaks out on his face. As he chuckles, I find that it's my turn to blush._

 _"You're brave, for someone in a new place. What's your name?"_

 _"I'm…..Hylia. My name is Hylia."_

 _"Like the Goddess?"_

 _"Yes...I was not born here but I was named after her."_

 _"Huh….Hylia. Alright, Hylia. My name is Link."_

 _"Nice to meet you."_

 _We stare each at other, not really sure what to do next when a large toll nearby causes us to both jump._

 _"The evening bells," Link mutters. "Alright. Well in return for hurting your wrist, let me walk you to the inn."_

 _"The inn? Ah...I was planning on staying here tonight," I say quickly, realizing that I have no money. When Link gives me a confused look, I find myself scrabbling to come up with a reason._

 _"I was ambushed on my way here and have nothing," I lie, grasping for ideas as I stare at him. "I was planning on staying here to truly see this land so I will be fine sleeping in this place tonight. Tomorrow I will get a job and begin a life here."_

 _I give him what I think is a winning smile when he frowns back at me. With a concerned look, he says, "No. You can't stay here. This is the Goddess' Temple. Even if no one but me comes here anymore it would be disrespectful of you to sleep here."_

 _Link scratches his head and looks away; it's almost as if he's debating something with himself before he finally sighs, "Come with me. I have a spare room at my house that you can stay in for awhile."_

 _"You would...allow me to stay with you?"_

 _"I would never leave a woman to sleep out on the streets," he says in a mortified voice. "I'm not a monster. You'll be safe, I promise."_

 _"How can I know?"_

 _"I'm not some indecent man who's just bringing you home to….just, come on. It's easier this way than having me pay for a room at the inn for you. That would only cause more rumors."_

 _As he stomps out of the temple, grumbling to himself about something, I look back at my empty temple._

 _I came here to see the humans, my people._

 _I came to be one of them, even if it is a fleeting dream._

 _How is it that only one man still seems to believe in me?_

 _Slowly I turn to look at Link, who has stopped walking and is watching me from the doorway._

 _"Are you coming or not?"_

 _I take a deep breath, before stepping towards the unknown._

 _Even if it's only one person, at least there's someone waiting for me._


End file.
